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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. key — the most important part
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — in a race
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. pop — to visit
  8. object — to protest
  9. pop — music
  10. key — in music
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. field — farmland
  13. fork — in a road
  14. field — a subject
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pop — soda
  17. key — for a lock
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — an aim
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pit — a hole
  24. foot — a measure

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