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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. mate — a friend
  3. pit — in a race
  4. root — of a word
  5. field — a subject
  6. mate — a partner
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wax — to grow
  9. field — farmland
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — money
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. plane — a tool
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. mate — to breed
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. field — for sport
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — a hole

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