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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 116 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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. last — finally
  4. last — to go on
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. suit — to fit
  8. plane — a tool
  9. last — final
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bass — low music
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bass — the fish
  17. fall — to drop
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. pitch — completely
  20. suit — clothes
  21. bound — tied together
  22. suit — in cards
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. fall — the season

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