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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. rash — a series
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — soda
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a line of people
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. pitch — completely
  16. stem — to come from
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. plane — a tool
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. safe — a strongbox

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