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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. track — a song
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. last — final
  9. net — after costs
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. last — to go on
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. track — a path
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. net — for catching
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. last — finally
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. plane — a tool
  22. net — in sport
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. track — to keep track

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