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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: degree · can · pit · field · key · present · face · plane

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. field — a subject
  3. degree — from a university
  4. field — farmland
  5. degree — temperature
  6. face — part of the head
  7. degree — an amount
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — a tool
  10. key — in music
  11. can — to be able to
  12. key — the most important part
  13. field — for sport
  14. present — a gift
  15. can — a tin
  16. present — there
  17. face — to confront
  18. pit — a hole
  19. face — to point toward
  20. key — for a lock
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. present — the time now

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