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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. suit — clothes
  3. field — a subject
  4. kick — in football
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. tube — a container
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. ball — a dance
  9. saw — the tool
  10. season — of the year
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. suit — to fit
  14. season — in sport
  15. suit — in cards
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. ball — a great time
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. field — farmland
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. saw — the tool
  24. field — for sport

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