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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bank — of a river
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. staff — employees
  7. bound — obliged
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bank — for money
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bound — certain
  15. prune — to trim
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. chair — a leader
  19. plane — a tool
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bank — for money
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stand — for spectators

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