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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: field · race · key · net · bore · plane · scale · deal

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. net — after costs
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. plane — a tool
  5. scale — size or range
  6. key — the most important part
  7. deal — to handle
  8. field — for sport
  9. scale — in music
  10. bore — to tire
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. race — the arms race
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — farmland
  16. net — for catching
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. race — humankind
  19. net — in sport
  20. key — in music
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to drill
  24. race — a contest

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