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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mug — to rob
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. key — for a lock
  5. field — for sport
  6. fine — all right
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a committee
  9. toast — bread
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. field — a subject
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mug — a cup
  14. key — in music
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mug — a face
  17. mine — for digging
  18. last — finally
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. field — farmland
  22. fine — high quality
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — final

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