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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — for a lock
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. key — the most important part
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. charge — electricity
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. field — farmland
  11. mate — to breed
  12. field — for sport
  13. charge — a price
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. charge — in control
  17. field — a subject
  18. mate — a partner
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — to come from
  21. mate — a friend
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mine — for digging

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