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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 120 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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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: bank · ruler · kid · key · plane · capital · board · field

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. key — the most important part
  4. field — farmland
  5. capital — a city
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. kid — child
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — a subject
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bank — of a river
  13. key — in music
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bank — for money
  16. board — a committee
  17. kid — to tease
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bank — for money
  20. board — to get on
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. capital — money
  24. plane — a tool

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