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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. key — the most important part
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. fork — in a road
  7. march — music
  8. field — farmland
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. field — a subject
  11. stand — to bear
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. march — the month
  14. field — for sport
  15. key — in music
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. wind — moving air
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. key — for a lock
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. march — the month
  24. coach — a trainer

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