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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. field — for sport
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. key — in music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. mark — a trace
  9. capital — a city
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. key — for a lock
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bulb — for light
  19. field — a subject
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. capital — money
  24. staff — employees

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