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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. ground — the earth
  4. squash — the sport
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. squash — to crush
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. wake — a trail
  9. ground — a position
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mark — a grade
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. key — in music
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. field — a subject
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mark — a trace
  20. ground — crushed
  21. key — the most important part
  22. field — for sport
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. key — for a lock

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