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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 116 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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. saw — the tool
  8. file — a tool
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. plane — a tool
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. field — a subject
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a committee
  17. ball — a dance
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a document
  20. field — farmland
  21. saw — the tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. ball — a great time
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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