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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: press · field · key · tube · leaves · pit · suit · clip

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. suit — to fit
  3. field — a subject
  4. key — in music
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. press — newspapers
  9. pit — in a race
  10. key — for a lock
  11. press — to push
  12. clip — for paper
  13. pit — a hole
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. press — a publisher
  16. suit — in cards
  17. key — the most important part
  18. tube — a container
  19. suit — clothes
  20. field — farmland
  21. tube — the underground
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. clip — to cut
  24. field — for sport

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