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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. spell — a short time
  3. key — for a lock
  4. lie — to recline
  5. date — the fruit
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — farmland
  9. root — the cause
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. spell — magic
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. board — a committee
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. spell — letters
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. root — of a word
  18. key — the most important part
  19. board — to get on
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. root — of a plant
  22. key — in music
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. date — on the calendar

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