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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 116 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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. present — the time now
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. pitch — completely
  6. present — a gift
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. season — of the year
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — clothes
  11. plane — a tool
  12. court — of law
  13. degree — from a university
  14. degree — an amount
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. season — in sport
  17. degree — temperature
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — for sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. suit — in cards
  24. present — there

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