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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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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 · race · key · net · bore · plane

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. 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. race — humankind
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bore — to drill
  4. field — a subject
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. key — the most important part
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. key — for a lock
  9. field — farmland
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. race — a contest
  13. key — in music
  14. race — the arms race
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — after costs
  18. 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