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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. toast — bread
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. plane — a tool
  10. pop — soda
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. pop — music
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. stock — shares
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — for digging
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stock — goods
  23. pop — to visit
  24. arm — a part of something

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