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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. club — a group
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pit — in a race
  10. plane — a tool
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. last — final
  13. band — a music group
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. pit — a hole
  16. stand — to bear
  17. last — finally
  18. last — to go on
  19. club — for golf
  20. band — a ring
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. club — for dancing

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