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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 · pitcher · toast · firm · vault · game · wake · plane

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — decided
  4. game — wild animals
  5. field — a subject
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. firm — a company
  11. field — for sport
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. toast — bread
  14. game — a match
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. vault — a safe
  18. field — farmland
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. wake — a trail
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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