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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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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: field · bound · key · cap · plane · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. field — farmland
  3. key — for a lock
  4. scale — size or range
  5. field — for sport
  6. bound — certain
  7. key — in music
  8. cap — a hat
  9. scale — in music
  10. bound — tied together
  11. cap — of ice
  12. field — a subject
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. cap — a lid
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bound — obliged
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. key — the most important part

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