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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. deal — to handle
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. capital — money
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. plane — a tool
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. hand — in cards
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. hand — help
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. pitch — completely
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. capital — a city
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. wind — moving air
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. deal — a big deal

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