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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: season · arm · cell · can · key · ground · trunk · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. season — in sport
  3. field — for sport
  4. key — the most important part
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. can — a tin
  8. key — for a lock
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. can — a tin
  11. season — of the year
  12. ground — the earth
  13. field — farmland
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — in biology
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — crushed
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. can — to be able to
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. key — in music
  24. cell — a phone

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