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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. court — of law
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — for digging
  5. field — for sport
  6. court — of a king
  7. key — in music
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. field — a subject
  10. key — for a lock
  11. mark — a grade
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. field — farmland
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. court — for sport
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — a trail
  20. stand — to bear
  21. key — the most important part
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mine — belonging to me

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