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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. field — for sport
  3. cue — a signal
  4. swing — to play on
  5. firm — steady
  6. race — humankind
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. race — a contest
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a hint
  11. field — farmland
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. race — the arms race
  14. firm — decided
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. field — a subject
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. swing — music
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. plane — a tool
  21. swing — in golf
  22. fork — in a road
  23. firm — a company
  24. leaves — of a tree

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