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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 124 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. land — a country
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. field — a subject
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a signal
  9. saw — the tool
  10. field — for sport
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. land — to come down
  13. stand — to bear
  14. cue — a hint
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. field — farmland
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — boats
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. land — ground

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