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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: drill · roll · pit · saw · season · stand · mate · leaves

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. mate — a partner
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. season — of the year
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. mate — to breed
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. saw — the tool
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. roll — a cake
  14. stand — to bear
  15. pit — in a race
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — army training
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. mate — a friend
  20. roll — a list
  21. drill — the tool
  22. season — in sport
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. saw — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com