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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 116 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. capital — money
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. key — for a lock
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. field — for sport
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. scale — in music
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. key — the most important part
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. pound — a weight
  20. scale — size or range
  21. field — a subject
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. capital — a city
  24. field — farmland

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