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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · drill · fall · stick · firm · field · prune · plane

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. prune — to trim
  4. drill — the tool
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — decided
  7. chip — for betting
  8. prune — to trim
  9. firm — steady
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. field — for sport
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. field — farmland
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. drill — a practice
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. field — a subject
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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