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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. toast — bread
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — for sport
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — music
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. rest — a break
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. field — a subject
  18. board — a committee
  19. fork — in a road
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pop — to visit
  24. board — to get on

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