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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: ruler · board · club · bore · date · field · prune · plane

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. club — a group
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bore — to drill
  6. club — for dancing
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. field — a subject
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. board — a committee
  12. bore — to tire
  13. prune — to trim
  14. board — to get on
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. club — for golf
  18. date — the fruit
  19. field — for sport
  20. prune — to trim
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. plane — a tool
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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