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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. last — finally
  3. field — for sport
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — a short time
  7. charge — a price
  8. spell — letters
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. chip — to eat
  11. key — in music
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. chip — for betting
  14. rush — hurry
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — in control
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. last — to go on
  19. key — the most important part
  20. vault — a safe
  21. last — final
  22. field — a subject
  23. key — for a lock
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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