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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: press · field · sharp · nail · perch · cap · plane · roll

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. field — farmland
  3. sharp — clever
  4. perch — the fish
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — a subject
  9. cap — a hat
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. roll — a list
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — newspapers
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. press — to push
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. plane — a tool
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a lid
  24. nail — for a hammer

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