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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. field — farmland
  3. key — the most important part
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. key — for a lock
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. rule — a law
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. field — a subject
  13. rule — government
  14. band — a music group
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. toast — bread
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. field — for sport
  19. key — in music
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. band — a ring
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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