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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: kick · cabinet · key · plane · mouse · field · bay · fork

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. key — for a lock
  7. field — for sport
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. field — a subject
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. plane — a tool
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. key — the most important part
  19. field — farmland
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. fork — in a road
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. kick — in football
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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