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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. key — in music
  3. key — for a lock
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — a subject
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wound — an injury
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. key — the most important part
  10. wound — an injury
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. roll — a list
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. court — of a king
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. court — for sport
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. field — for sport
  20. court — of law
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. roll — a cake
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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