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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — to fit
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. tube — the underground
  9. field — a subject
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stand — to bear
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. mate — a friend
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. mate — a partner
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. suit — clothes
  20. field — for sport
  21. pit — in a race
  22. field — farmland
  23. pit — a hole
  24. stand — for spectators

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