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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bowl · plane · pass · bear · nail · rock · field · squash

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bear — the animal
  3. field — for sport
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. rock — music
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. field — farmland
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bear — the animal
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. pass — a permit
  23. squash — to crush
  24. field — a subject

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