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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · current · press · racket · field · spring · craft · pound

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. craft — boats
  3. field — farmland
  4. spring — of water
  5. press — a publisher
  6. key — the most important part
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. key — in music
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. press — newspapers
  13. current — happening now
  14. key — for a lock
  15. current — of water
  16. current — electric
  17. spring — a coil
  18. craft — a skill
  19. spring — the season
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. press — to push
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. field — a subject
  24. racket — a loud noise

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