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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. wind — moving air
  6. plane — a tool
  7. track — a song
  8. mug — a face
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. swing — to play on
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. swing — in golf
  14. track — to keep track
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wind — moving air
  19. track — a path
  20. pitch — completely
  21. mug — to rob
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. swing — music
  24. racket — for tennis

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