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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — the time now
  4. field — a subject
  5. stand — to bear
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — decided
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. season — in sport
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. field — for sport
  14. deal — to handle
  15. firm — a company
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. pass — a permit
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — of the year
  20. field — farmland
  21. present — there
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of a tree

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