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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. key — in music
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. ground — the earth
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. fork — in a road
  7. field — for sport
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. ground — a position
  11. rule — government
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. can — to be able to
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. ground — crushed
  16. scale — size or range
  17. key — for a lock
  18. field — farmland
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. can — a tin
  21. rule — a law
  22. can — a tin
  23. scale — in music
  24. key — the most important part

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