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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: key · deal · jam · current · scale · field · bowl · fan

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. current — electric
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — farmland
  9. key — in music
  10. current — happening now
  11. deal — to handle
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. key — the most important part
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. field — for sport
  21. current — of water
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. jam — a tight spot

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