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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 · trunk · roll · cell · field · foot · vault · pitch

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  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 — a tool
  3. vault — a safe
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. roll — a cake
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. field — farmland
  9. roll — a list
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. cell — a phone
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. foot — a measure
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pitch — completely
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. cell — in biology
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. roll — on a roll
  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