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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: content · plane · stick · arm · rock · patient · vault · field

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  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. field — farmland
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. content — happy
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. rock — a stone
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. field — a subject
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. plane — a tool
  12. rock — music
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. field — for sport
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. content — the amount
  22. vault — a safe
  23. plane — in geometry
  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