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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: coach · field · wound · leaves · scale · fan · root · key

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. key — the most important part
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. key — in music
  7. field — farmland
  8. root — of a plant
  9. wound — an injury
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. wound — an injury
  15. root — the cause
  16. scale — size or range
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. scale — in music
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. root — of a word
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. field — a subject
  24. key — for a lock

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