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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: row · current · key · mouse · field · land · racket · deal

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. row — a line
  6. row — to paddle
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. land — a country
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — of water
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. field — farmland
  13. land — ground
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. deal — to handle
  17. field — for sport
  18. key — for a lock
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. land — to come down
  21. key — in music
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. current — electric
  24. field — a subject

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