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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 124 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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. field — farmland
  3. season — in sport
  4. field — for sport
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. pitch — completely
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — to tire
  13. field — a subject
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. season — of the year
  24. lash — to lash out

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