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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bank — for money
  7. rock — a stone
  8. band — a music group
  9. bank — for money
  10. chip — for betting
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rash — a series
  13. band — a ring
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bank — of a river
  16. plane — a tool
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. pitch — completely
  22. rock — music
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rock — to move gently

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