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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 116 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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. key — the most important part
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. saw — the tool
  5. current — happening now
  6. field — farmland
  7. field — a subject
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. current — of water
  10. key — for a lock
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. present — a gift
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. current — electric
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — there
  23. key — in music
  24. fan — a supporter

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