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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. wind — moving air
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. field — a subject
  5. track — a path
  6. object — a thing
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. track — to keep track
  9. board — to get on
  10. object — an aim
  11. field — farmland
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. board — a committee
  14. key — for a lock
  15. track — a song
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. object — to protest
  19. field — for sport
  20. wind — moving air
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. key — in music

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