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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. field — farmland
  4. current — of water
  5. tube — a container
  6. current — happening now
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. prune — to trim
  9. field — for sport
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. current — electric
  16. snap — to click
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. tube — the underground
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. prune — to trim
  21. field — a subject
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. tube — in a tire

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