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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. track — to keep track
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. ground — crushed
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. ground — the earth
  8. track — a song
  9. ground — a position
  10. prune — to trim
  11. spring — of water
  12. board — to get on
  13. fine — high quality
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — all right
  18. prune — to trim
  19. track — a path
  20. key — for a lock
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. spring — the season
  24. board — a committee

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