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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  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. plane — an aircraft
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wake — a trail
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. mate — a friend
  12. sharp — clever
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mate — to breed
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitch — completely
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bass — the fish
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. plane — a tool
  23. sharp — exactly
  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