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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.

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: stand · field · key · chip · spring · plane · drill · calf

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  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. drill — a practice
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. drill — the tool
  5. key — for a lock
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. spring — a coil
  8. stand — to bear
  9. field — for sport
  10. plane — a tool
  11. spring — of water
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. key — in music
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. drill — army training
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. field — a subject
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. spring — the season
  22. field — farmland
  23. chip — for betting
  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