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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. pitch — completely
  5. rash — a series
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. rash — hasty
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. row — to paddle
  12. ball — a dance
  13. swing — in golf
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. row — a line
  17. sharp — clever
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. ball — a great time
  23. vault — a safe
  24. swing — music

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