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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 · pitcher · foot · current · fine · plane · ground · field

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. current — electric
  4. key — for a lock
  5. ground — a position
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — a measure
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — farmland
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — all right
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. ground — the earth
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. ground — crushed
  17. key — the most important part
  18. plane — a tool
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. key — in music
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. field — for sport
  24. pitcher — a jug

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