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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. band — a music group
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — to wash
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. field — a subject
  10. key — for a lock
  11. field — farmland
  12. mark — a grade
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. field — for sport
  16. key — in music
  17. mark — a trace
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. shower — rain
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. band — a ring
  23. rush — hurry
  24. ruler — for measuring

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