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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. deal — to handle
  5. pit — in a race
  6. suit — clothes
  7. plane — a tool
  8. pit — a hole
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — a subject
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. tube — a container
  18. suit — to fit
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. field — farmland
  24. pass — to succeed

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