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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. rest — what's left
  3. spring — a coil
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. field — for sport
  8. spring — the season
  9. pound — a weight
  10. field — farmland
  11. capital — a city
  12. spring — of water
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. capital — money
  15. rest — what's left
  16. field — a subject
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. rest — a break
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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