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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. suit — in cards
  3. ground — crushed
  4. suit — clothes
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — completely
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. drill — army training
  10. club — a group
  11. plane — a tool
  12. ground — a position
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. club — for golf
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — hasty
  17. drill — the tool
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. drill — a practice
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ground — the earth
  22. suit — to fit
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. club — for dancing

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