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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: plane · stock · ground · saw · leaves · field · perch · nail

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. perch — the fish
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. ground — crushed
  9. saw — the tool
  10. field — farmland
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. stock — goods
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ground — a position
  15. plane — a tool
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. saw — the tool
  21. stock — shares
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ground — the earth
  24. field — a subject

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