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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. mark — a trace
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. field — a subject
  15. wake — a trail
  16. mark — a grade
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. rest — what's left
  22. key — the most important part
  23. rest — a break
  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