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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 · plane · field · race · craft · cap · fine · perch

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — for sport
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — a skill
  9. plane — a tool
  10. cap — of ice
  11. field — a subject
  12. key — in music
  13. cap — a lid
  14. fine — high quality
  15. key — for a lock
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — humankind
  19. cap — a hat
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. fine — all right
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. craft — boats
  24. perch — the fish

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