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

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. field — a subject
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — the earth
  6. field — for sport
  7. mine — for digging
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. spell — magic
  10. key — in music
  11. ground — a position
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. key — for a lock
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — letters
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. field — farmland
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. key — the most important part

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