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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. field — for sport
  4. rest — a break
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. sharp — clever
  8. field — farmland
  9. current — electric
  10. suit — in cards
  11. ground — a position
  12. field — a subject
  13. tube — the underground
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — the earth
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. current — happening now
  20. suit — to fit
  21. current — of water
  22. stand — to bear
  23. tube — a container
  24. suit — clothes

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