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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. scale — size or range
  3. key — for a lock
  4. scale — in music
  5. key — the most important part
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wound — an injury
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. field — for sport
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. wound — an injury
  13. field — farmland
  14. key — in music
  15. stand — to bear
  16. field — a subject
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a music group
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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