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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. drill — a practice
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. plane — a tool
  7. field — farmland
  8. current — electric
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. field — a subject
  12. current — happening now
  13. field — for sport
  14. pound — a weight
  15. drill — the tool
  16. current — of water
  17. tube — a container
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. drill — army training
  20. season — in sport
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. season — of the year

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