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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 116 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — the most important part
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rest — a break
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. key — for a lock
  7. field — a subject
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rest — what's left
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. field — for sport
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rock — music
  16. rest — what's left
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a music group
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. sharp — clever
  22. band — a ring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. field — farmland

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