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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 120 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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — the most important part
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. field — farmland
  6. court — of law
  7. mate — a partner
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — for sport
  12. fine — high quality
  13. rash — a series
  14. fine — all right
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. key — in music
  17. lean — thin
  18. mate — to breed
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. field — a subject
  21. rash — hasty
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. mate — a friend
  24. lean — to bend

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