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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. field — farmland
  4. pit — in a race
  5. key — in music
  6. chest — a box
  7. deal — to handle
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rush — hurry
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. key — for a lock
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. chest — of your body
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. toast — bread
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. field — for sport
  23. key — the most important part
  24. chest — of your body

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