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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. capital — a city
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. capital — money
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pitch — completely
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — for sport
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. branch — a division
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bowl — to roll

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