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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. season — of the year
  4. key — the most important part
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. key — for a lock
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. craft — a skill
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. craft — boats
  14. key — in music
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fall — the season
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. season — in sport
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — for sport
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. nail — on a finger

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