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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: fall · current · stand · plane · field · trunk · pitcher · fine

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. field — for sport
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. fall — to drop
  5. field — farmland
  6. current — of water
  7. fine — high quality
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. fall — to drop
  10. plane — a tool
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. current — electric
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. fall — the season
  15. current — happening now
  16. field — a subject
  17. fine — all right
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — to bear
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. plane — an aircraft

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