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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. field — a subject
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — a friend
  7. rock — music
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — a thing
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — for sport
  12. fall — to drop
  13. can — a tin
  14. sharp — clever
  15. key — the most important part
  16. rock — a stone
  17. key — in music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. mate — to breed
  20. key — for a lock
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. object — to protest
  24. can — to be able to

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