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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. net — for catching
  4. field — a subject
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. mate — to breed
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. mate — a partner
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. net — in sport
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. field — farmland
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. kid — child
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. kid — to tease
  21. can — a tin
  22. net — after costs
  23. field — for sport
  24. mate — a friend

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