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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. rash — hasty
  4. lean — thin
  5. pop — soda
  6. rash — a series
  7. lie — to recline
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. squash — the sport
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. lean — to bend
  13. squash — to crush
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pop — to visit
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. pop — music
  24. pitch — completely

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