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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. key — the most important part
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. object — an aim
  5. bear — the animal
  6. object — to protest
  7. cap — a hat
  8. field — farmland
  9. cap — of ice
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. key — for a lock
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mine — for digging
  18. key — in music
  19. object — a thing
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cap — a lid
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. field — a subject

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