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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 120 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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. field — a subject
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pit — in a race
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. tube — the underground
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. prune — to trim
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. suit — clothes
  14. field — for sport
  15. suit — in cards
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. dip — to sink
  18. pit — a hole
  19. field — farmland
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. suit — to fit
  22. tube — a container
  23. prune — to trim
  24. tube — in a tire

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