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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: can · plane · stand · ball · rash · season · field · bulb

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — for sport
  6. stand — to bear
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. rash — a series
  11. ball — a dance
  12. can — a tin
  13. field — a subject
  14. season — of the year
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. season — in sport
  17. can — to be able to
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ball — a great time
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. can — a tin
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. plane — an aircraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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