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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: fan · stand · plane · branch · bay · scale · present · field

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. present — there
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. plane — a tool
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. field — a subject
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — the time now
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. field — for sport
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. field — farmland
  22. scale — in music
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. scale — size or range

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