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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bank — of a river
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a skill
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bank — for money
  9. field — a subject
  10. key — for a lock
  11. game — a match
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. field — farmland
  14. bank — for money
  15. club — a group
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. game — wild animals
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. field — for sport
  21. club — for dancing
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. key — in music
  24. club — for golf

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