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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. capital — money
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. staff — employees
  7. key — in music
  8. field — a subject
  9. staff — employees
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. vault — a safe
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. field — for sport
  14. capital — a city
  15. key — for a lock
  16. staff — a stick
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. field — farmland
  20. face — to confront
  21. present — a gift
  22. key — the most important part
  23. present — there
  24. branch — a division

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