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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. mate — to breed
  3. plane — a tool
  4. firm — decided
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. mate — a partner
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — a company
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pitch — completely
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mate — a friend
  21. fall — the season
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. fall — to drop

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