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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. row — to paddle
  6. field — farmland
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fine — all right
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. field — a subject
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. plane — a tool
  18. row — a line
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. band — a ring
  22. deal — to handle
  23. band — a music group
  24. plane — in geometry

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