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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — for sport
  4. track — to keep track
  5. field — farmland
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. track — a song
  8. pass — a permit
  9. rest — what's left
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. present — a gift
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. key — for a lock
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. present — there
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — bread
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. track — a path
  22. present — the time now
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. key — in music

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