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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — in music
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. spell — letters
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. wind — moving air
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. spell — magic
  18. stand — to bear
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. plane — a tool
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. wind — moving air

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