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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. key — the most important part
  5. roll — a cake
  6. roll — a list
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. field — for sport
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. field — farmland
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bound — certain
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. present — there
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. present — a gift
  19. field — a subject
  20. present — the time now
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. key — in music
  24. mine — an explosive

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