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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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Word bank
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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: roll · file · bowl · plane · bound · track · field · pitch

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. pitch — completely
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bound — certain
  5. track — to keep track
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bound — obliged
  12. field — farmland
  13. bound — tied together
  14. roll — a list
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. field — for sport
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. plane — a tool
  24. file — a document

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