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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. key — the most important part
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to point toward
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. field — for sport
  11. scale — in music
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. scale — size or range
  15. key — for a lock
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. face — to confront
  18. key — in music
  19. field — a subject
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. branch — a division
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. field — farmland

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