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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 120 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: plane · foot · fine · stock · current · key · field · degree

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. current — electric
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. field — farmland
  6. current — of water
  7. stock — shares
  8. degree — temperature
  9. fine — high quality
  10. foot — a measure
  11. degree — an amount
  12. field — a subject
  13. key — the most important part
  14. fine — all right
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. field — for sport
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. current — happening now
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. plane — a tool

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