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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. staff — employees
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. pitch — completely
  9. roll — a list
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. stock — goods
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. staff — employees
  16. game — a match
  17. game — wild animals
  18. dip — to sink
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. plane — a tool
  21. roll — a cake
  22. stock — shares
  23. staff — a stick
  24. roll — on a roll

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