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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: deal · march · kick · roll · field · ruler · plane · row

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. field — a subject
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. field — for sport
  6. march — the month
  7. deal — to handle
  8. roll — a cake
  9. roll — a list
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. kick — in football
  14. plane — a tool
  15. row — to paddle
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. march — the month
  19. row — a line
  20. field — farmland
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. march — music

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