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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  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. bound — obliged
  2. field — for sport
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. field — a subject
  5. key — in music
  6. season — in sport
  7. cap — a lid
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bound — certain
  14. row — to paddle
  15. can — to be able to
  16. season — of the year
  17. key — for a lock
  18. field — farmland
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bound — tied together
  21. cap — of ice
  22. row — a line
  23. mark — a grade
  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