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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
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: fan · object · ball · capital · craft · field · plane · season

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. ball — a great time
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. season — of the year
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. object — to protest
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. field — farmland
  11. craft — a skill
  12. object — a thing
  13. craft — boats
  14. capital — money
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. field — a subject
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. capital — a city
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. plane — a tool
  22. ball — a dance
  23. field — for sport
  24. season — in sport

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