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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: stick · swing · track · row · craft · plane · roll · field

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. plane — a tool
  3. roll — a list
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. row — a line
  6. craft — a skill
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — to paddle
  11. roll — a cake
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — for sport
  14. craft — boats
  15. swing — in golf
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. track — a path
  19. swing — to play on
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. field — a subject
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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