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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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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: lean · firm · game · plane · track · field · craft · can

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. game — wild animals
  3. firm — steady
  4. track — a song
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. field — a subject
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. game — a match
  9. lean — thin
  10. field — farmland
  11. firm — decided
  12. can — a tin
  13. firm — a company
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — boats
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a path
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. lean — to bend

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