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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bank — of a river
  4. field — for sport
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bank — for money
  7. rest — what's left
  8. field — farmland
  9. fine — all right
  10. bank — for money
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. key — in music
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. rest — what's left
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. field — a subject
  19. deal — to handle
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — in music
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. key — the most important part
  24. rest — a break

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