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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. firm — a company
  3. plane — a tool
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rush — hurry
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. field — farmland
  8. march — the month
  9. lean — to bend
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. lean — thin
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — in music
  14. march — the month
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. firm — steady
  19. march — music
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. field — for sport
  22. firm — decided
  23. field — a subject
  24. plane — an aircraft

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