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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 116 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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. track — to keep track
  4. charge — a price
  5. key — the most important part
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fine — high quality
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. key — in music
  11. fork — in a road
  12. charge — electricity
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fine — all right
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — farmland
  19. key — for a lock
  20. charge — in control
  21. track — a song
  22. field — a subject
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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