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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.

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: wax · game · field · content · board · fork · lash · plane

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. field — farmland
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. board — to get on
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. board — a committee
  13. plane — a tool
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. field — for sport
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. content — the amount
  18. game — a match
  19. field — a subject
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — to grow
  22. content — happy
  23. fork — in a road
  24. board — a flat piece

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