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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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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. field — a subject
  4. capital — a city
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. suit — clothes
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — the underground
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. roll — a list
  18. field — for sport
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. capital — money
  22. suit — in cards
  23. field — farmland
  24. suit — to fit

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