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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. toast — bread
  3. bound — obliged
  4. ground — a position
  5. stand — to bear
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. bound — certain
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bound — tied together
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. key — for a lock
  13. wound — an injury
  14. key — in music
  15. cue — a signal
  16. field — for sport
  17. key — the most important part
  18. field — farmland
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. ground — crushed
  22. field — a subject
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — for pool

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