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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. can — to be able to
  3. field — farmland
  4. tube — a container
  5. season — in sport
  6. field — for sport
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wake — a trail
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. tube — the underground
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fall — to drop
  19. field — a subject
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. fall — the season

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