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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. saw — the tool
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bass — low music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. cap — a lid
  9. rock — a stone
  10. land — ground
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. key — the most important part
  13. land — to come down
  14. saw — the tool
  15. field — for sport
  16. cap — a hat
  17. field — farmland
  18. rock — music
  19. field — a subject
  20. key — in music
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bass — the fish
  23. land — a country
  24. safe — out of danger

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