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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. kid — child
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. tube — the underground
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. kid — to tease
  11. plane — a tool
  12. tube — a container
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. pitch — completely
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bat — the animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bat — for baseball

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