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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: row · season · plane · bank · scale · rock · field · chest

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bank — for money
  3. rock — a stone
  4. chest — of your body
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. field — a subject
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. scale — in music
  9. plane — a tool
  10. chest — a box
  11. season — in sport
  12. row — to paddle
  13. season — of the year
  14. bank — of a river
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. scale — size or range
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. field — farmland
  19. row — a line
  20. rock — music
  21. chest — of your body
  22. field — for sport
  23. bank — for money
  24. season — to add flavour

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