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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — a tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. net — after costs
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. saw — the tool
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. net — in sport
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. tube — a container
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pitch — completely
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. net — for catching
  24. deal — to handle

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