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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. kick — in football
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. march — music
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. march — the month
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. drill — the tool
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. march — the month
  18. pitch — completely
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. leaves — to go away

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