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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. suit — to fit
  3. field — for sport
  4. lean — to bend
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. season — of the year
  8. suit — clothes
  9. field — farmland
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — thin
  17. prune — to trim
  18. suit — in cards
  19. season — in sport
  20. cold — not warm
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. cold — an illness
  23. stand — to bear
  24. field — a subject

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