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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: patient · lean · pitch · content · leaves · season · prune · wake

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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. leaves — of a tree
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. lean — to bend
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pitch — completely
  7. season — in sport
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. content — the amount
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. prune — to trim
  15. content — happy
  16. lean — thin
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. season — of the year
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. season — to add flavour
  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