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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bowl · tube · key · foot · mate · fine · field · lean

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. field — farmland
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. foot — a measure
  11. mate — to breed
  12. tube — the underground
  13. mate — a friend
  14. tube — a container
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. mate — a partner
  17. key — for a lock
  18. lean — thin
  19. field — a subject
  20. fine — all right
  21. key — in music
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. field — for sport
  24. lean — to bend

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