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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. file — a document
  4. pitch — completely
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. season — of the year
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — a tool
  10. swing — in golf
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. file — a line of people
  18. prune — to trim
  19. swing — music
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. file — a tool
  22. swing — to play on
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pitch — a sports field

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