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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 120 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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. net — after costs
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pass — a permit
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. net — in sport
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. wound — an injury
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. dip — to sink
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. net — for catching
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — the animal
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. pitch — completely
  24. wound — an injury

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