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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.

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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: field · rest · key · ruler · snap · track · cap · bear

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. snap — to click
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. cap — of ice
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. track — a song
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bear — the animal
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. key — for a lock
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cap — a hat
  15. key — in music
  16. track — a path
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. track — to keep track
  20. rest — a break
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — farmland
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. field — for sport

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