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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. scale — size or range
  5. land — a country
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. scale — in music
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mate — to breed
  10. plane — a tool
  11. land — ground
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. mate — a partner
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. mate — a friend
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pitch — completely
  23. land — to come down
  24. fork — in a road

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