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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 120 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. field — a subject
  3. key — the most important part
  4. cap — of ice
  5. craft — a skill
  6. swing — to play on
  7. drill — army training
  8. swing — in golf
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bound — obliged
  11. field — for sport
  12. lean — thin
  13. drill — the tool
  14. key — in music
  15. swing — music
  16. drill — a practice
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bound — certain
  19. cap — a lid
  20. craft — boats
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bound — tied together
  23. cap — a hat
  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