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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  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. plane — an aircraft
  2. content — the amount
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. cue — for pool
  5. swing — to play on
  6. present — a gift
  7. cue — a hint
  8. swing — music
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bound — tied together
  12. swing — in golf
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bound — certain
  15. present — the time now
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. present — there
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. content — happy
  20. plane — a tool
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bound — obliged
  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