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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 120 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: field · ground · plane · leaves · can · tube · clip · club

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. plane — a tool
  3. field — for sport
  4. ground — crushed
  5. can — to be able to
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. field — a subject
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for dancing
  14. ground — a position
  15. tube — a container
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. ground — the earth
  18. field — farmland
  19. can — a tin
  20. clip — to cut
  21. club — for golf
  22. clip — a video
  23. clip — for paper
  24. can — a tin

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