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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: can · mine · cabinet · plane · board · present · sharp · field

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. field — farmland
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. field — for sport
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. can — a tin
  9. board — to get on
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. board — a committee
  14. present — there
  15. plane — a tool
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. can — a tin
  18. present — the time now
  19. can — to be able to
  20. field — a subject
  21. present — a gift
  22. sharp — clever
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. mine — belonging to me

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