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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. pitch — a sales talk
  2. mate — a friend
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mate — to breed
  6. land — ground
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. plane — a tool
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. pitch — completely
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. land — to come down
  16. deal — to handle
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. land — a country
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. mate — a partner
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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