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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: stand · last · cabinet · safe · plane · degree · fork · field

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. field — farmland
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stand — to bear
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. field — for sport
  10. last — finally
  11. plane — a tool
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. last — to go on
  14. fork — in a road
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. last — final
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — an amount
  23. field — a subject
  24. degree — temperature

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