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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. key — in music
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rash — a series
  6. field — farmland
  7. can — a tin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. field — for sport
  11. can — a tin
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. roll — a list
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. key — for a lock
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. field — a subject
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. key — the most important part
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. wound — an injury

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