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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. field — a subject
  7. pass — a permit
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. key — in music
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bulb — for light
  13. key — for a lock
  14. land — a country
  15. land — to come down
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — farmland
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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