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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 116 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. march — the month
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. field — for sport
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. march — music
  10. ground — crushed
  11. march — the month
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. ground — a position
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. ground — the earth
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a skill
  19. plane — a tool
  20. field — farmland
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. field — a subject
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bark — to shout

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