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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — a tool
  4. band — a music group
  5. staff — employees
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. field — for sport
  8. band — a ring
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. charge — a price
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. field — farmland
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. pound — a weight
  15. file — a line of people
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a tool
  18. perch — the fish
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — electricity
  21. staff — employees
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. staff — a stick

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