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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. track — a song
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. staff — employees
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pitch — completely
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. track — to keep track
  14. ground — crushed
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. staff — employees
  17. plane — a tool
  18. ground — a position
  19. snap — to click
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. staff — a stick
  22. ground — the earth
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. track — a path

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