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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. ground — crushed
  3. rush — hurry
  4. field — for sport
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. field — a subject
  7. ground — the earth
  8. craft — boats
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. field — farmland
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. ground — a position
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. craft — a skill

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