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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. spring — the season
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. pitch — completely
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bear — the animal
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — boats
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. spring — a coil
  16. date — the fruit
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mark — a grade
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — in control
  23. plane — a tool
  24. spring — of water

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