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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bulb — for light
  6. scale — in music
  7. spring — the season
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bulb — for light
  14. spring — a coil
  15. plane — a tool
  16. spring — of water
  17. sharp — clever
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. last — to go on
  21. pitch — completely
  22. last — finally
  23. scale — size or range
  24. last — final

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