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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. field — a subject
  5. capital — a city
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. capital — money
  8. suit — in cards
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. field — farmland
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. field — for sport
  15. tube — the underground
  16. suit — to fit
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. suit — clothes
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. tube — a container
  24. pass — a permit

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