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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. cue — a signal
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. cue — for pool
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. present — the time now
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. stock — goods
  13. field — farmland
  14. stock — shares
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. present — a gift
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — a permit
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. field — a subject
  22. cue — a hint
  23. present — there
  24. jam — in traffic

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