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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: key · fine · cap · saw · land · ball · field · roll

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. key — the most important part
  4. roll — a cake
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — high quality
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. land — a country
  10. land — ground
  11. fine — all right
  12. saw — the tool
  13. key — in music
  14. roll — a list
  15. saw — the tool
  16. key — for a lock
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. ball — a great time
  19. cap — of ice
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. field — farmland
  22. land — to come down
  23. field — a subject
  24. ball — a dance

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