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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. charge — a price
  5. tube — a container
  6. staff — employees
  7. charge — electricity
  8. plane — a tool
  9. track — a path
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. tube — the underground
  12. field — farmland
  13. staff — employees
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. staff — a stick
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. track — to keep track
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. track — a song
  22. charge — in control
  23. field — a subject
  24. plane — in geometry

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