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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — in cards
  4. cold — an illness
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. plane — a tool
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — completely
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. branch — a division
  17. suit — to fit
  18. season — in sport
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. pass — a permit
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. cold — not warm
  24. plane — in geometry

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