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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.

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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: row · plane · track · bear · deal · squash · field · shower

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. field — a subject
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. plane — a tool
  8. track — a path
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bear — the animal
  11. shower — rain
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. track — to keep track
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — to paddle
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. deal — to handle
  20. track — a song
  21. row — a line
  22. squash — the sport
  23. shower — to wash
  24. field — farmland

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