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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pop — soda
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. net — after costs
  12. kid — to tease
  13. plane — a tool
  14. pop — to visit
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. pop — music
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — for catching
  22. kid — child
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. racket — for tennis

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