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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.

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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: pit · branch · plane · ruler · snap · mate · sharp · field

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — for sport
  3. mate — a partner
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. mate — to breed
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. plane — a tool
  12. snap — to click
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. field — a subject
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. mate — a friend
  17. sharp — clever
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. branch — a division
  21. pit — in a race
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. pit — a hole

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