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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: kick · field · press · plane · temple · track · ground · stand

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. track — to keep track
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. stand — to bear
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. track — a song
  7. press — to push
  8. press — a publisher
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. press — newspapers
  11. ground — the earth
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. field — farmland
  16. ground — a position
  17. kick — in football
  18. ground — crushed
  19. plane — a tool
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. track — a path
  24. field — for sport

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