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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: field · degree · drill · spell · cap · fan · bowl · key

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. drill — the tool
  6. spell — magic
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — army training
  9. degree — temperature
  10. key — for a lock
  11. field — for sport
  12. key — in music
  13. cap — a hat
  14. spell — a short time
  15. degree — from a university
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. spell — letters
  18. key — the most important part
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. field — a subject
  22. cap — of ice
  23. field — farmland
  24. fan — a supporter

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