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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. field — a subject
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bass — low music
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. field — farmland
  10. court — for sport
  11. board — to get on
  12. court — of law
  13. mark — a grade
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. mark — a trace
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. field — for sport
  18. court — of a king
  19. board — a committee
  20. key — the most important part
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. key — for a lock

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