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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 120 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.

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: scale · leaves · root · plane · present · field · stem · rock

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. present — the time now
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. present — a gift
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. field — a subject
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — the cause
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. present — there
  14. root — of a word
  15. field — for sport
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. rock — music
  18. plane — a tool
  19. stem — to come from
  20. scale — size or range
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — in music
  24. plane — an aircraft

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