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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — clothes
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. lean — thin
  5. key — the most important part
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. lean — to bend
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. field — for sport
  11. row — to paddle
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. key — for a lock
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. wind — moving air
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. key — in music
  18. row — a line
  19. mine — for digging
  20. field — a subject
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. wind — moving air
  23. suit — in cards
  24. field — farmland

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