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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 · nail · wake · season · squash · stick · key

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. race — a contest
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. key — in music
  6. wake — a trail
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. field — for sport
  9. squash — to crush
  10. season — in sport
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. race — the arms race
  18. season — of the year
  19. key — the most important part
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. squash — the sport
  22. race — humankind
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — a subject

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