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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. field — a subject
  3. season — of the year
  4. field — for sport
  5. current — of water
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. field — farmland
  9. key — the most important part
  10. root — of a word
  11. rush — hurry
  12. root — of a plant
  13. current — electric
  14. fine — all right
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. season — in sport
  17. key — in music
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. root — the cause
  22. key — for a lock
  23. current — happening now
  24. fine — a penalty

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