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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: plane · cabinet · mug · key · club · field · dip · drill

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. mug — to rob
  4. key — for a lock
  5. drill — the tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. field — for sport
  8. key — in music
  9. club — a group
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. plane — a tool
  12. drill — army training
  13. field — a subject
  14. club — for dancing
  15. drill — a practice
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. dip — to sink
  18. field — farmland
  19. key — the most important part
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. mug — a cup
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mug — a face

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