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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. charge — in control
  3. key — for a lock
  4. charge — electricity
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. field — for sport
  7. foot — a measure
  8. field — farmland
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. key — the most important part
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — the earth
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. key — in music
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to click
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. charge — a price
  24. ground — a position

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