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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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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: ruler · cell · snap · stock · pitch · plane · rest · key

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stock — shares
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. plane — a tool
  10. rest — what's left
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. stock — goods
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to click
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. key — in music
  22. cell — in biology
  23. pitch — completely
  24. cell — a phone

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