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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: field · calf · bat · bear · cell · sharp · ball · plane

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. plane — a tool
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bear — the animal
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. ball — a dance
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. sharp — clever
  11. field — for sport
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. cell — a phone
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — farmland
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bat — the animal
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. calf — a young animal

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