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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: field · stick · foot · leaves · chair · mate · pass · jam

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. pass — a permit
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. field — a subject
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. field — farmland
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. mate — a friend
  14. field — for sport
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. chair — a leader
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. jam — a tight spot

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