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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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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: chair · mark · pitch · ruler · wound · mine · plane · leaves

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. mine — for digging
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pitch — completely
  17. plane — a tool
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a leader

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