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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. field — farmland
  11. tube — the underground
  12. craft — boats
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. mate — a partner
  16. root — of a plant
  17. field — a subject
  18. root — of a word
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. field — for sport
  21. craft — a skill
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — to breed
  24. root — the cause

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