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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. key — in music
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. cap — a hat
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — a subject
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bass — the fish
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. land — ground
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bass — low music
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. land — to come down
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. key — for a lock
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. land — a country
  19. key — the most important part
  20. cap — a lid
  21. foot — a measure
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bass — the instrument

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