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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.

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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: dip · can · plane · row · stick · field · fork · pass

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. field — a subject
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. can — a tin
  9. fork — in a road
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. can — to be able to
  15. dip — to sink
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. plane — a tool
  21. row — a line
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. can — a tin

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