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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — for sport
  4. object — to protest
  5. craft — a skill
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. firm — decided
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. object — an aim
  10. track — a song
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. land — to come down
  13. firm — a company
  14. land — ground
  15. craft — boats
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. land — a country
  18. plane — a tool
  19. field — a subject
  20. track — to keep track
  21. firm — steady
  22. object — a thing
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. craft — a handicraft

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