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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. fork — in a road
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. land — to come down
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — to protest
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of law
  14. pound — a weight
  15. plane — a tool
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. land — ground
  20. object — an aim
  21. court — of a king
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. land — a country

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