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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 120 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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. key — the most important part
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. staff — a stick
  8. key — for a lock
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. field — a subject
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. degree — temperature
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. staff — employees
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. foot — a measure
  17. degree — from a university
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. staff — employees
  20. degree — an amount
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — farmland
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bear — to put up with

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