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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. cap — a lid
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. object — to protest
  5. bound — tied together
  6. cap — a hat
  7. field — a subject
  8. object — an aim
  9. tube — a container
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — certain
  12. field — farmland
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. object — a thing
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. cap — of ice
  17. field — for sport
  18. plane — a 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