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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: calf · track · present · field · jam · bowl · hand · plane

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. plane — a tool
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. hand — help
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. track — to keep track
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. track — a path
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — for sport
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. field — a subject
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. track — a song
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. present — the time now
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. present — there

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