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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.

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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: plane · bass · fan · field · sharp · fall · bowl · firm

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. plane — a tool
  3. firm — steady
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bass — low music
  6. firm — decided
  7. bass — the fish
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. field — for sport
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. field — farmland
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. sharp — clever
  18. fall — the season
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. field — a subject
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. firm — a company

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