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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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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: clip · deal · present · plane · bank · bay · pit · field

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. field — farmland
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. present — a gift
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. field — a subject
  10. clip — a video
  11. clip — for paper
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bank — for money
  14. field — for sport
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bank — of a river
  19. present — there
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bank — for money
  23. pit — in a race
  24. plane — in geometry

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