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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.

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: bowl · arm · stand · field · content · prune · roll · plane

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. field — a subject
  7. roll — a list
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. roll — a cake
  11. field — farmland
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. field — for sport
  16. stand — to bear
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. content — happy
  20. content — the amount
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — a tool

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