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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. rest — what's left
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. key — the most important part
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. field — farmland
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. last — to go on
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. field — a subject
  11. deal — to handle
  12. rest — what's left
  13. last — final
  14. rest — a break
  15. key — in music
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. last — finally
  21. field — for sport
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. key — for a lock
  24. hide — to keep secret

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