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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: lie · present · pit · season · calf · march · field · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. field — farmland
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. march — the month
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — a gift
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. tube — the underground
  11. field — for sport
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — in a race
  14. march — the month
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. march — music
  17. present — there
  18. lie — to recline
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — of the year
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. field — a subject
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. tube — a container

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