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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
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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: squash · field · march · scale · root · plane · sharp · hide

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. root — of a word
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. scale — in music
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. march — the month
  9. root — the cause
  10. squash — to crush
  11. march — music
  12. field — for sport
  13. root — of a plant
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. squash — the sport
  16. scale — size or range
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. field — farmland
  19. plane — a tool
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. sharp — clever
  22. march — the month
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. sharp — with an edge

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