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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 116 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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. prune — to trim
  4. charge — electricity
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. field — farmland
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — the season
  12. prune — to trim
  13. field — a subject
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. key — the most important part
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. charge — a price
  21. spring — of water
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. charge — in control
  24. straw — dry grass

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