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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. rock — a stone
  3. field — for sport
  4. rock — music
  5. foot — a measure
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. present — there
  8. mine — for digging
  9. spring — the season
  10. present — a gift
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. present — the time now
  13. field — farmland
  14. plane — a tool
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. field — a subject
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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