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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: wound · plane · field · rock · can · bound · mark · ball

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. rock — music
  3. wound — an injury
  4. plane — a tool
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — farmland
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — obliged
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. ball — a dance
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. mark — a grade
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. rock — a stone
  20. field — for sport
  21. bound — certain
  22. mark — a trace
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a great time

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