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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 120 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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — the earth
  4. object — a thing
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cold — not warm
  7. object — an aim
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. plane — a tool
  11. object — to protest
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cap — of ice
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. ground — a position
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. pitch — completely

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