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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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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: key · mate · bay · wind · field · lean · court · plane

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. mate — to breed
  3. court — of law
  4. key — in music
  5. plane — a tool
  6. key — for a lock
  7. court — for sport
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. lean — thin
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. mate — a friend
  14. field — for sport
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. field — a subject
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — to bend
  23. mate — a partner
  24. field — farmland

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