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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bound — obliged
  3. field — for sport
  4. tube — the underground
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bound — certain
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — a subject
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — the cause
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. root — of a plant
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. game — a match
  21. bound — tied together
  22. game — wild animals
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. leaves — lets stay

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