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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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. bowl — a football final
  3. pitch — completely
  4. suit — to fit
  5. root — of a plant
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. staff — a stick
  8. season — in sport
  9. suit — in cards
  10. court — of a king
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. root — of a word
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. staff — employees
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. court — of law
  17. staff — employees
  18. root — the cause
  19. court — for sport
  20. season — of the year
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. plane — a tool
  23. suit — clothes
  24. pitch — a sports field

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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