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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: straw · key · fork · plane · content · craft · field · rush

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. field — for sport
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. field — farmland
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. plane — a tool
  13. field — a subject
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. key — in music
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. content — happy
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a skill
  20. key — the most important part
  21. fork — in a road
  22. key — for a lock
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. fork — a garden 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