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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 120 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. key — in music
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — in cards
  6. key — for a lock
  7. ground — crushed
  8. court — of law
  9. can — to be able to
  10. key — the most important part
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of a king
  13. can — a tin
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. can — a tin
  17. rest — a break
  18. suit — to fit
  19. rest — what's left
  20. ground — a position
  21. rest — what's left
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — a subject

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