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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. field — a subject
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wind — moving air
  7. field — for sport
  8. rock — a stone
  9. key — the most important part
  10. rock — music
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. key — for a lock
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. kick — in football
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. field — farmland

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