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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. field — farmland
  4. last — final
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. last — finally
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. last — to go on
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. field — a subject
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. row — a line
  13. file — a document
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. plane — a tool
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. field — for sport
  20. file — a line of people
  21. row — to paddle
  22. file — a tool
  23. stand — to bear
  24. racket — a loud noise

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