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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: bulb · kick · pitch · date · ground · board · plane · shower

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. board — to get on
  3. kick — in football
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. ground — crushed
  8. board — a committee
  9. shower — rain
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. plane — a tool
  13. date — the fruit
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pitch — completely
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. shower — to wash
  24. ground — a position

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