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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
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: kick · game · fine · field · object · key · nail · drill

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. object — an aim
  5. drill — a practice
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — all right
  8. object — a thing
  9. key — the most important part
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. field — a subject
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. key — in music
  14. kick — in football
  15. game — a match
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. drill — the tool
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. object — to protest
  20. game — wild animals
  21. field — farmland
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. field — for sport
  24. drill — army training

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