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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: plane · march · game · pitcher · deal · stick · mouse · mate

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mate — to breed
  6. game — a match
  7. mate — a partner
  8. game — wild animals
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. march — the month
  11. mate — a friend
  12. deal — to handle
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. plane — a tool
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. march — music
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. march — the month
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. deal — an agreement

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