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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. key — in music
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — to crush
  6. wake — a trail
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. present — a gift
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. craft — boats
  11. present — there
  12. field — a subject
  13. root — of a plant
  14. key — the most important part
  15. field — for sport
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. pitch — completely
  18. present — the time now
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. root — the cause
  22. key — for a lock
  23. root — of a word
  24. craft — a skill

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