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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: plane · cue · stick · arm · field · pass · branch · dip

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. branch — a division
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. cue — a hint
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. cue — for pool
  10. field — for sport
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pass — a permit
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. plane — a tool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. field — a subject
  24. dip — to sink

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