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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: tear · chip · field · plane · ball · object · bulb · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. chip — for betting
  4. field — a subject
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. object — a thing
  7. bulb — for light
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. field — farmland
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bulb — for light
  12. chip — to eat
  13. ball — a great time
  14. fine — all right
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. ball — a dance
  17. field — for sport
  18. object — to protest
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — to rip
  21. object — an aim
  22. tear — from crying
  23. fine — high quality
  24. bulb — of a plant

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