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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.

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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: pit · leaves · tube · cap · ruler · band · kick · field

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — a hat
  6. field — a subject
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. kick — in football
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. tube — a container
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. pit — a hole
  17. cap — of ice
  18. pit — in a race
  19. band — a ring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. band — a music group
  22. field — farmland
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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