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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: leaves · plane · last · field · cue · ground · current · deal

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. ground — crushed
  3. field — a subject
  4. current — happening now
  5. ground — a position
  6. last — finally
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. last — to go on
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. cue — a hint
  16. last — final
  17. current — electric
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. field — for sport
  21. current — of water
  22. ground — the earth
  23. plane — a tool
  24. deal — to handle

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