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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. tear — from crying
  4. mug — to rob
  5. game — wild animals
  6. mug — a face
  7. club — a group
  8. key — in music
  9. field — for sport
  10. club — for dancing
  11. last — finally
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. game — a match
  15. tear — to rip
  16. club — for golf
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rush — hurry
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — farmland
  22. mug — a cup
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. last — final

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