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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pitch — completely
  5. rock — a stone
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. spell — letters
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. spell — magic
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. rock — music
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. spell — a short time
  17. plane — a tool
  18. toast — bread

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