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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: stick · chair · bay · ball · plane · season · shower · field

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. plane — a tool
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. field — for sport
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. season — of the year
  7. ball — a great time
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. field — a subject
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. season — in sport
  17. field — farmland
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. shower — rain
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. shower — to wash
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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