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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 120 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. last — finally
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. last — final
  5. pitch — completely
  6. plane — a tool
  7. foot — a measure
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. object — a thing
  10. cue — a hint
  11. ground — a position
  12. cue — a signal
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. ground — crushed
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. object — to protest
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. last — to go on
  20. object — an aim
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — in geometry

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