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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 116 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: rash · key · straw · field · fine · fall · deal · bank

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. key — for a lock
  3. fine — high quality
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. fall — to drop
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bank — of a river
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. fall — the season
  13. fine — all right
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bank — for money
  16. deal — to handle
  17. key — in music
  18. field — a subject
  19. rash — a series
  20. bank — for money
  21. field — farmland
  22. rash — hasty
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. key — the most important part

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