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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: plane · lie · foot · march · field · ball · club · key

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. march — the month
  3. key — for a lock
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. ball — a great time
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. field — a subject
  10. key — the most important part
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. lie — to recline
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. ball — a dance
  15. field — for sport
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. club — a group
  18. field — farmland
  19. key — in music
  20. club — for dancing
  21. foot — a measure
  22. plane — a tool
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. club — for golf

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