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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kick · pitcher · mate · spell · pit · cold · ground · leaves

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. ground — the earth
  4. kick — in football
  5. mate — a friend
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. pit — in a race
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. cold — an illness
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. spell — magic
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. ground — crushed
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. cold — not warm
  17. pit — a hole
  18. mate — to breed
  19. spell — a short time
  20. mate — a partner
  21. ground — a position
  22. spell — letters
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. leaves — lets stay

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