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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: field · scale · tear · key · race · plane · bulb · bay

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. field — farmland
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bulb — for light
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — the arms race
  8. field — for sport
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. field — a subject
  13. bulb — for light
  14. key — in music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — in music
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. tear — to rip

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