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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. net — after costs
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. row — a line
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — completely
  11. net — for catching
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. press — a publisher
  15. rest — what's left
  16. fork — in a road
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. press — to push
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. net — in sport
  22. plane — a tool
  23. row — to paddle
  24. press — newspapers

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