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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pop — soda
  4. saw — the tool
  5. key — for a lock
  6. file — a document
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. firm — steady
  10. pop — to visit
  11. field — for sport
  12. firm — a company
  13. file — a tool
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. field — farmland
  16. firm — decided
  17. field — a subject
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pop — music
  20. file — a line of people
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. key — in music
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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