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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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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: race · foot · saw · plane · leaves · kick · field · fork

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — humankind
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. field — farmland
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. fork — in a road
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. field — for sport
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. field — a subject
  16. race — a contest
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — a tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. leaves — of a tree

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