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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 120 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. pop — music
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. field — for sport
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pop — soda
  7. field — farmland
  8. key — in music
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. field — a subject
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pop — to visit
  19. chip — to eat
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. perch — the fish
  24. key — the most important part

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