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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. field — farmland
  4. club — for golf
  5. current — of water
  6. club — for dancing
  7. prune — to trim
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. field — a subject
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. rash — a series
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. rash — hasty
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. current — electric
  20. current — happening now
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. plane — a tool
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. field — for sport

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