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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: season · present · plane · row · field · club · rule · hand

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. present — there
  3. plane — a tool
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. row — a line
  6. season — in sport
  7. hand — help
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — a subject
  11. club — for golf
  12. hand — in cards
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. present — a gift
  16. field — farmland
  17. club — a group
  18. rule — government
  19. club — for dancing
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rule — a law
  22. season — of the year
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. present — the time now

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