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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. key — the most important part
  3. field — for sport
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a hole
  8. perch — the fish
  9. key — for a lock
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. chip — for betting
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. key — in music
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. field — farmland
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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