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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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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: key · mark · field · plane · snap · ground · foot · mate

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — a measure
  5. mate — to breed
  6. key — in music
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. mark — a trace
  9. field — for sport
  10. mate — a partner
  11. key — for a lock
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. ground — crushed
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. field — a subject
  16. plane — a tool
  17. mate — a friend
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to click
  20. ground — a position
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. field — farmland
  23. ground — the earth
  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