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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. roll — a list
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. lean — to bend
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. prune — to trim
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. lean — thin
  13. capital — money
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. plane — a tool
  20. prune — to trim
  21. roll — a cake
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. capital — a city
  24. roll — on a roll

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