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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pop · hide · jam · last · rock · present · tube · field

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. present — the time now
  4. rock — a stone
  5. pop — to visit
  6. last — finally
  7. pop — soda
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — for sport
  11. rock — music
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. tube — the underground
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. last — to go on
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. present — a gift
  19. last — final
  20. pop — music
  21. present — there
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. tube — a container
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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