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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. drill — army training
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. ball — a great time
  7. squash — to crush
  8. net — for catching
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. fall — to drop
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. pitch — completely
  16. fall — the season
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. fall — to drop
  19. ball — a dance
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bark — to shout
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. squash — the sport
  24. drill — a practice

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