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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: pound · calf · plane · field · rest · fan · present · cabinet

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — there
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. field — farmland
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. plane — a tool
  10. field — for sport
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rest — what's left
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rest — a break
  20. field — a subject
  21. pound — a weight
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fan — a supporter
  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