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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — to point toward
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. row — to paddle
  8. net — after costs
  9. rest — a break
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rest — what's left
  14. club — for dancing
  15. pitch — completely
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. club — for golf
  18. row — a line
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. rest — what's left
  21. club — a group
  22. rash — a series
  23. face — part of the head
  24. rash — hasty

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