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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: jam · toast · land · march · key · field · hide · nail

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. field — for sport
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. land — a country
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. key — for a lock
  7. field — a subject
  8. march — music
  9. key — the most important part
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. march — the month
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. land — ground
  14. key — in music
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. toast — bread
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. field — farmland
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. march — the month
  24. hide — to keep secret

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