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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: field · key · stick · date · track · current · ruler · kid

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. kid — child
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. key — for a lock
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. current — of water
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — a subject
  13. track — a path
  14. track — a song
  15. date — the fruit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. key — the most important part
  18. current — happening now
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. current — electric
  21. kid — to tease
  22. track — to keep track
  23. field — for sport
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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