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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: key · leaves · fine · field · kid · board · last · bay

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. board — a committee
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. field — a subject
  6. kid — child
  7. fine — all right
  8. field — farmland
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. fine — high quality
  12. last — final
  13. last — to go on
  14. key — in music
  15. last — finally
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. field — for sport
  24. kid — to tease

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