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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. field — a subject
  3. ground — crushed
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — farmland
  6. march — music
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — in control
  9. ground — the earth
  10. march — the month
  11. key — the most important part
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. key — for a lock
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. wound — an injury
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. ground — a position
  20. wound — an injury
  21. charge — a price
  22. key — in music
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. foot — the bottom

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