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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — for a lock
  4. field — farmland
  5. key — in music
  6. field — for sport
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. land — a country
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rock — music
  14. field — a subject
  15. land — ground
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — obliged
  21. land — to come down
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wave — with your hand

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