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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. staff — a stick
  3. rock — a stone
  4. land — ground
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. content — the amount
  9. plane — a tool
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. content — happy
  14. land — a country
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. pitch — completely
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. prune — to trim
  21. land — to come down
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rock — music
  24. content — videos and posts

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