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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.

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: press · field · plane · perch · fall · ball · track · mate

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. ball — a great time
  3. fall — to drop
  4. field — for sport
  5. press — newspapers
  6. fall — to drop
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. ball — a dance
  9. field — farmland
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. perch — the fish
  14. field — a subject
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. mate — to breed
  18. track — a path
  19. press — a publisher
  20. mate — a partner
  21. press — to push
  22. plane — a tool
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. mate — a friend

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