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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. field — farmland
  5. object — to protest
  6. stand — to bear
  7. object — a thing
  8. can — a tin
  9. last — to go on
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. last — final
  12. last — finally
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bore — to drill
  15. present — the time now
  16. field — for sport
  17. present — a gift
  18. bore — to tire
  19. object — an aim
  20. field — a subject
  21. pass — a permit
  22. present — there
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. can — to be able to

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