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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: roll · wind · date · plane · saw · present · pitch · sharp

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. roll — a list
  3. plane — a tool
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. present — the time now
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. wind — moving air
  8. sharp — clever
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. present — a gift
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. date — the fruit
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. wind — moving air
  18. saw — the tool
  19. roll — a cake
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. pitch — completely
  22. present — there
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. plane — an aircraft

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