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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. lean — thin
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. present — there
  7. lean — to bend
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — shares
  10. row — a line
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. stock — goods
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. present — the time now
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — completely
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. present — a gift
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. row — to paddle
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. plane — in geometry

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