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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. tube — a container
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. field — a subject
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. tube — the underground
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. field — farmland
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. board — to get on
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. present — there
  15. cap — a hat
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. field — for sport
  18. rock — music
  19. present — a gift
  20. rock — a stone
  21. cap — of ice
  22. present — the time now
  23. mine — for digging
  24. board — a committee

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