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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · patient · scale · plane · field · fork · temple · fine

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fine — high quality
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. net — after costs
  8. plane — a tool
  9. net — in sport
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — a subject
  12. scale — in music
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. fork — in a road
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. field — farmland
  19. scale — size or range
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. net — for catching
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. fine — all right

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