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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 · foot · field · spell · band · date · key · tube

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. band — a music group
  3. plane — a tool
  4. foot — a measure
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — letters
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. spell — magic
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. field — farmland
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. date — the fruit
  18. band — a ring
  19. field — a subject
  20. tube — a container
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. key — in music
  24. tube — the underground

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