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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: staff · field · tube · rule · sharp · plane · track · bound

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. staff — employees
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. tube — the underground
  8. field — a subject
  9. plane — a tool
  10. staff — a stick
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. track — a song
  13. bound — tied together
  14. track — a path
  15. rule — a law
  16. tube — a container
  17. staff — employees
  18. bound — certain
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bound — obliged
  21. sharp — clever
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. field — for sport

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