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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. scale — in music
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. scale — size or range
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. last — finally
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. last — final
  12. object — to protest
  13. pitch — completely
  14. object — a thing
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. object — an aim
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. plane — a tool

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