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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. craft — boats
  3. field — for sport
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. field — farmland
  8. prune — to trim
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. pound — a weight
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — part of the head
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. field — a subject
  19. branch — a division
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. fork — in a road
  22. craft — a skill
  23. face — to confront
  24. prune — to trim

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