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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. firm — decided
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. cap — of ice
  13. firm — a company
  14. bass — the fish
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bass — low music
  17. cap — a hat
  18. pitch — completely
  19. firm — steady
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — a tool
  23. cap — a lid
  24. sharp — clever

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