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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · fan · field · plane · nail · scale · shower · march

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. shower — rain
  5. march — music
  6. plane — a tool
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. march — the month
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. march — the month
  14. scale — size or range
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — for sport
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. mug — a cup
  19. shower — to wash
  20. mug — a face
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. scale — in music
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. mug — to rob

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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