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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 116 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. current — electric
  5. saw — the tool
  6. march — music
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. ball — a great time
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. ball — a dance
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. current — of water
  16. plane — a tool
  17. current — happening now
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. march — the month
  23. pitch — completely
  24. march — the month

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