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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. mine — for digging
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bass — the fish
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. capital — a city
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — a safe
  16. capital — money
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bass — low music
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. lie — an untruth

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