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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. roll — a list
  3. can — a tin
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. key — for a lock
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. key — the most important part
  9. can — a tin
  10. saw — the tool
  11. field — farmland
  12. can — to be able to
  13. saw — the tool
  14. key — in music
  15. field — for sport
  16. cell — in biology
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to click
  19. cell — a phone
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. roll — a cake
  22. fine — all right
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. fine — high quality

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