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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 120 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. pop — to visit
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mark — a trace
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. mark — a grade
  9. branch — a division
  10. field — a subject
  11. cap — a hat
  12. face — to confront
  13. pop — soda
  14. key — in music
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pop — music
  17. field — farmland
  18. cap — of ice
  19. key — the most important part
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. field — for sport
  22. face — part of the head
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. face — to point toward

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