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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. cold — an illness
  3. can — a tin
  4. field — farmland
  5. can — a tin
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. can — to be able to
  8. mate — a partner
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. key — the most important part
  11. fine — all right
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. field — for sport
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. key — in music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. toast — bread
  18. mate — a friend
  19. cold — not warm
  20. field — a subject
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. fine — high quality

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