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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pass — a permit
  6. court — of a king
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. plane — a tool
  9. kick — in football
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. tube — the underground
  13. court — of law
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. tube — a container
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. present — the time now
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. present — a gift
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. pitch — completely
  24. court — for sport

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