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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. field — a subject
  5. scale — in music
  6. land — to come down
  7. field — for sport
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. field — farmland
  12. mine — for digging
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. land — ground
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. vault — a safe
  23. land — a country
  24. scale — size or range

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