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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: field · ruler · face · rock · ground · plane · band · march

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. band — a music group
  3. face — to point toward
  4. march — the month
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. field — for sport
  7. face — to confront
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rock — a stone
  11. ground — a position
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. march — the month
  16. band — a ring
  17. march — music
  18. field — farmland
  19. ground — crushed
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. face — part of the head
  22. plane — a tool
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — music

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