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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. track — to keep track
  5. plane — a tool
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. field — for sport
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. fine — high quality
  12. season — of the year
  13. field — a subject
  14. suit — clothes
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. field — farmland
  18. track — a song
  19. suit — in cards
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. suit — to fit
  22. track — a path
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. season — in sport

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