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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: board · fork · present · swing · plane · ground · field · sharp

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — the time now
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. ground — crushed
  5. field — a subject
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. swing — to play on
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — clever
  12. field — for sport
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. plane — a tool
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — the earth
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — in golf
  20. present — a gift
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. field — farmland
  23. board — to get on
  24. fork — in a road

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