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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. lean — thin
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. present — the time now
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. band — a music group
  9. field — for sport
  10. fork — in a road
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — a subject
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — completely
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. present — there
  18. lean — to bend
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. present — a gift
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. band — a ring
  24. plane — a tool

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