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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: shower · key · fine · pound · field · pit · chest · rash

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. field — for sport
  4. key — the most important part
  5. field — farmland
  6. rash — a series
  7. pit — a hole
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. key — for a lock
  12. field — a subject
  13. shower — to wash
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pit — in a race
  16. rash — hasty
  17. shower — rain
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. key — in music
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — high quality
  24. pound — a weight

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