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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 116 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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. present — there
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — a container
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. tube — the underground
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — a subject
  11. cap — a hat
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — the time now
  14. cap — a lid
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. chip — for betting
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. field — farmland
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cap — of ice

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