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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.

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: suit · present · pass · bat · field · chip · clip · plane

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. present — a gift
  3. suit — clothes
  4. present — there
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. field — a subject
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bat — the animal
  9. present — the time now
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. field — for sport
  13. clip — for paper
  14. chip — for betting
  15. field — farmland
  16. clip — to cut
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — a tool
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pass — a permit
  21. clip — a video
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. suit — in cards
  24. plane — an aircraft

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