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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — for a lock
  4. rock — a stone
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. march — the month
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. rock — music
  9. bulb — for light
  10. track — a song
  11. march — music
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. march — the month
  14. field — for sport
  15. foot — a measure
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bulb — for light
  18. field — a subject
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. key — in music
  23. field — farmland
  24. leaves — of a tree

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