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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
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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: current · cap · last · foot · lash · key · field · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. current — happening now
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. cap — of ice
  5. current — of water
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. last — to go on
  8. key — for a lock
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. cap — a hat
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — in music
  13. field — a subject
  14. cap — a lid
  15. mark — a trace
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. field — farmland
  18. last — finally
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. last — final
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. foot — a measure
  23. field — for sport
  24. current — electric

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