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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
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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: sharp · bear · current · field · march · mate · tube · chair

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. tube — a container
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bear — the animal
  5. current — of water
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. current — electric
  9. mate — a partner
  10. field — farmland
  11. march — music
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bear — the animal
  15. current — happening now
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. field — a subject
  19. tube — the underground
  20. field — for sport
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. mate — a friend
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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