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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. face — part of the head
  5. rash — hasty
  6. plane — a tool
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. deal — to handle
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. face — to confront
  11. hand — help
  12. pitch — completely
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. prune — to trim
  17. hand — in cards
  18. face — to point toward
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rash — a series
  24. prune — to trim

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