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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for golf
  6. spring — the season
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. face — to point toward
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. pitch — completely
  12. face — to confront
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rash — hasty
  18. club — for dancing
  19. rash — a series
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. spring — of water
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. plane — a tool
  24. face — part of the head

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