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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. craft — boats
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. field — a subject
  5. craft — a skill
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. plane — a tool
  8. field — farmland
  9. mark — a grade
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. field — for sport
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. stem — to come from
  17. board — to get on
  18. toast — bread
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. mark — a trace
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. stem — of a plant

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