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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. cap — of ice
  8. stand — to bear
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. cap — a lid
  11. band — a music group
  12. fine — high quality
  13. mug — a face
  14. field — for sport
  15. mug — to rob
  16. cell — a phone
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. plane — a tool
  19. band — a ring
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. field — farmland
  22. mug — a cup
  23. cap — a hat
  24. fine — all right

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