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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: field · mate · plane · bank · snap · racket · bat · stand

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bank — of a river
  6. mate — a friend
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. field — farmland
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. snap — to click
  14. stand — to bear
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. mate — a partner
  17. field — for sport
  18. bank — for money
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bank — for money
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bat — the animal

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