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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 120 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. field — farmland
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. ball — a great time
  6. craft — boats
  7. rash — hasty
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — for sport
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wax — to grow
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. plane — a tool
  14. craft — a skill
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ball — a dance
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a hole
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. rash — a series

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