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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cold — an illness
  3. key — the most important part
  4. deal — to handle
  5. key — in music
  6. field — farmland
  7. track — a path
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. track — a song
  11. rest — a break
  12. bore — to tire
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cold — not warm
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. field — for sport
  18. season — in sport
  19. key — for a lock
  20. field — a subject
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bore — to drill

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