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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: pit · plane · temple · content · staff · field · pop · fall

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. field — farmland
  4. fall — to drop
  5. staff — a stick
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. content — happy
  9. staff — employees
  10. field — a subject
  11. pop — to visit
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. staff — employees
  16. fall — the season
  17. field — for sport
  18. pop — music
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pop — soda
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — in a race
  24. content — the amount

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