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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: object · key · field · plane · tube · rush · roll · toast

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. key — in music
  4. rush — hurry
  5. field — farmland
  6. object — an aim
  7. plane — a tool
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. key — for a lock
  10. roll — a cake
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. tube — a container
  13. field — a subject
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. object — to protest
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. toast — bread
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. field — for sport
  21. key — the most important part
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. roll — a list

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