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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: foot · pop · plane · roll · charge · field · stick · spell

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. roll — a cake
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. roll — a list
  5. spell — letters
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. charge — in control
  10. pop — to visit
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. charge — electricity
  13. field — a subject
  14. charge — a price
  15. spell — a short time
  16. pop — soda
  17. foot — a measure
  18. field — farmland
  19. spell — magic
  20. pop — music
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. field — for sport
  24. plane — a tool

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