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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. field — a subject
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rock — music
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. ground — the earth
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wind — moving air
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. ground — crushed
  12. rock — a stone
  13. field — for sport
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. court — for sport
  21. ground — a position
  22. field — farmland
  23. court — of law
  24. court — of a king

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