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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pitch — completely
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. court — of law
  6. court — for sport
  7. firm — a company
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. firm — steady
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. court — of a king
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. firm — decided
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. plane — a tool
  20. spell — letters
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. spell — magic
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. spell — a short time

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