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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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. key — in music
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a list
  6. file — a tool
  7. season — of the year
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a line of people
  11. roll — a cake
  12. key — for a lock
  13. field — a subject
  14. mark — a trace
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. prune — to trim
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. field — for sport
  19. season — in sport
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. key — the most important part
  22. field — farmland
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. prune — to trim

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