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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. spring — a coil
  4. field — for sport
  5. track — a song
  6. cue — a hint
  7. track — a path
  8. bulb — for light
  9. spring — of water
  10. track — to keep track
  11. sharp — clever
  12. field — a subject
  13. key — the most important part
  14. staff — employees
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cue — a signal
  18. field — farmland
  19. staff — employees
  20. spring — the season
  21. staff — a stick
  22. cue — for pool
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. key — for a lock

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