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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 120 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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  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. plane — an aircraft
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. plane — a tool
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mark — a grade
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bass — low music
  12. prune — to trim
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bass — the fish
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. field — for sport
  20. mark — a trace
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. prune — to trim
  23. safe — a strongbox
  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