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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: fall · field · row · plane · court · tube · pit · bowl

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. tube — the underground
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. pit — a hole
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — a line
  7. court — of law
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. court — of a king
  10. pit — in a race
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — farmland
  18. fall — the season
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. row — to paddle
  22. court — for sport
  23. field — a subject
  24. tube — a container

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