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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: plane · net · spell · field · nail · board · fine · race

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. plane — a tool
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. field — a subject
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — magic
  9. field — farmland
  10. race — humankind
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — all right
  13. net — in sport
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. net — for catching
  16. race — the arms race
  17. net — after costs
  18. spell — letters
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. field — for sport
  21. board — a committee
  22. race — a contest
  23. board — to get on
  24. nail — for a hammer

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