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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. track — a song
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — a tool
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pit — in a race
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. row — to paddle
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pit — a hole
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. track — to keep track
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. track — a path
  24. row — a quarrel

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