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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
468
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: cap · deal · plane · field · key · bound · file · chip

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. key — for a lock
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bound — obliged
  6. key — the most important part
  7. plane — a tool
  8. field — for sport
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. key — in music
  11. chip — to eat
  12. file — a tool
  13. cap — a lid
  14. deal — to handle
  15. file — a document
  16. cap — of ice
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bound — certain
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bound — tied together
  21. field — a subject
  22. chip — for betting
  23. file — a line of people
  24. cap — a hat

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