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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. plane — a tool
  3. can — a tin
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. mate — a partner
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. season — of the year
  8. rock — a stone
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. can — a tin
  14. mate — a friend
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — in control
  18. can — to be able to
  19. charge — electricity
  20. season — in sport
  21. mate — to breed
  22. pitch — completely
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. plane — an aircraft

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