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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: tube · fine · plane · swing · field · band · mine · calf

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  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. tube — the underground
  2. swing — to play on
  3. field — a subject
  4. swing — music
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mine — for digging
  9. band — a ring
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — all right
  15. plane — a tool
  16. field — farmland
  17. swing — in golf
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. band — a music group
  23. tube — a container
  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