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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: bore · plane · jam · field · fine · rule · rock · dip

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. rule — government
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. fine — high quality
  5. dip — to sink
  6. plane — a tool
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. rock — a stone
  9. field — a subject
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bore — to drill
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. field — farmland
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. fine — all right
  20. rule — a law
  21. rock — music
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. fine — a penalty

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