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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. field — for sport
  7. lean — thin
  8. pop — music
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pop — soda
  12. key — for a lock
  13. lean — to bend
  14. key — in music
  15. scale — size or range
  16. rest — a break
  17. pop — to visit
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — in music
  20. field — a subject
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. field — farmland
  24. bear — the animal

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