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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. plane — a tool
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — to handle
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. pound — a weight
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. toast — the most admired

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