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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. suit — to fit
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — in music
  5. board — to get on
  6. field — a subject
  7. face — part of the head
  8. suit — clothes
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mate — a friend
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. mate — a partner
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. face — to confront
  15. suit — in cards
  16. board — a committee
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. capital — a city
  19. face — to point toward
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — farmland
  22. capital — money
  23. key — for a lock
  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