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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitch · spell · kick · lie · plane · net

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. 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. net — after costs
  3. spell — a short time
  4. lie — to recline
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — in football
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. spell — magic
  11. plane — a tool
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. net — for catching
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. net — in sport
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. spell — letters
  18. 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