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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: object · pass · season · bound · chair · field · tube · pop

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — to protest
  4. chair — a leader
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. tube — the underground
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. season — of the year
  10. field — a subject
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — obliged
  13. field — for sport
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. field — farmland
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — soda
  19. bound — tied together
  20. object — a thing
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. season — in sport
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. pop — to visit

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