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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: track · fall · field · drill · plane · pitch · temple · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. fall — the season
  5. plane — a tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. track — a song
  8. field — a subject
  9. fall — to drop
  10. drill — a practice
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. track — a path
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fall — to drop
  17. field — farmland
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. drill — the tool
  21. track — to keep track
  22. pitch — completely
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. field — for sport

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