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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. plane — a tool
  3. cue — for pool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. date — the fruit
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. cue — a hint
  10. field — for sport
  11. land — ground
  12. land — a country
  13. face — part of the head
  14. track — a path
  15. cue — a signal
  16. track — to keep track
  17. lean — thin
  18. field — farmland
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. face — to confront
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. land — to come down
  23. track — a song
  24. face — to point toward

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