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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. field — a subject
  3. key — the most important part
  4. field — for sport
  5. bat — the animal
  6. key — in music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. club — for golf
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. club — a group
  15. toast — bread
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. field — farmland
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. pitch — completely
  24. club — for dancing

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