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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. pitch — completely
  3. kid — child
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. plane — a tool
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. scale — in music
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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