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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. present — the time now
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. present — there
  7. craft — a skill
  8. charge — electricity
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. charge — a price
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. pitch — completely
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — a subject
  18. craft — boats
  19. plane — a tool
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. charge — in control
  23. present — a gift
  24. pitch — a sports field

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