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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. tube — a container
  3. mark — a trace
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — music
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. fall — to drop
  13. swing — in golf
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. mark — a grade
  16. fall — the season
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. foot — a measure
  20. field — for sport
  21. tube — the underground
  22. fall — to drop
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. field — a subject

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