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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. key — the most important part
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. key — in music
  5. fork — in a road
  6. suit — to fit
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — a price
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. hand — help
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. field — for sport
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. perch — the fish
  16. suit — in cards
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — a subject
  19. key — for a lock
  20. stand — to bear
  21. hand — in cards
  22. charge — in control
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. perch — for a bird

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