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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: jam · field · bowl · plane · lash · suit · march · bass

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bass — low music
  4. plane — a tool
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bass — the fish
  7. field — farmland
  8. suit — to fit
  9. field — a subject
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. suit — clothes
  15. field — for sport
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. suit — in cards
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. march — the month

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