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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 120 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. firm — steady
  4. field — farmland
  5. track — a song
  6. race — the arms race
  7. firm — decided
  8. field — a subject
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. track — to keep track
  11. field — for sport
  12. race — humankind
  13. key — for a lock
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. key — the most important part
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. track — a path
  18. firm — a company
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. key — in music
  23. race — a contest
  24. bay — a horse colour

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