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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — a tool
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a music group
  7. stock — shares
  8. suit — to fit
  9. stand — to bear
  10. band — a ring
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. field — farmland
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bulb — for light
  17. kid — child
  18. stock — goods
  19. suit — clothes
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. field — a subject
  22. kid — to tease
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bulb — for light

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