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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  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. pound — for dogs
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. fall — the season
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. fall — to drop
  6. key — in music
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. march — the month
  10. kick — in football
  11. march — music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. march — the month
  14. field — farmland
  15. last — to go on
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. last — final
  18. field — a subject
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. field — for sport
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. pound — a weight
  23. last — finally
  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