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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: field · cue · stand · date · cap · object · plane · toast

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. object — to protest
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — of ice
  9. object — an aim
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. field — farmland
  14. cue — for pool
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. object — a thing
  17. field — a subject
  18. cap — a hat
  19. stand — to bear
  20. toast — bread
  21. plane — a tool
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. field — for sport

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