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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. net — for catching
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. saw — the tool
  5. net — after costs
  6. pitch — completely
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — the amount
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. net — in sport
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. content — happy

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