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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. field — a subject
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — the most important part
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. dip — to sink
  11. board — a committee
  12. face — to confront
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. field — for sport
  15. face — to point toward
  16. field — farmland
  17. board — to get on
  18. face — part of the head

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