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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. key — the most important part
  4. charge — a price
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — a coil
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. field — a subject
  9. mine — for digging
  10. object — to protest
  11. field — for sport
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — decided
  14. object — a thing
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. firm — a company
  17. object — an aim
  18. spring — of water
  19. field — farmland
  20. charge — in control
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. charge — electricity

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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