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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: plane · rock · rash · tube · field · toast · club · capital

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. field — a subject
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — a stone
  7. field — for sport
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. rock — music
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. toast — bread
  14. plane — a tool
  15. capital — money
  16. rash — a series
  17. club — for golf
  18. tube — a container
  19. club — a group
  20. capital — a city
  21. rash — hasty
  22. club — for dancing
  23. tube — the underground
  24. field — farmland

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