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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. key — the most important part
  4. kick — in football
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. field — farmland
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. field — a subject
  10. key — for a lock
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. key — in music
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — in sport
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. snap — to click
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. jam — a tight spot

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