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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 116 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: rush · ground · field · wound · perch · plane · bat · craft

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bat — the animal
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. field — for sport
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. craft — boats
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. ground — the earth
  17. rush — hurry
  18. ground — a position
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. field — farmland
  21. wound — an injury
  22. field — a subject
  23. ground — crushed
  24. perch — the fish

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