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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — the most important part
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. field — farmland
  6. suit — in cards
  7. key — in music
  8. rash — hasty
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fine — all right
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. field — a subject
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. suit — clothes
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. field — for sport

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