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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: row · deal · bat · wave · pop · pitcher · plane · sharp

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. deal — to handle
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — music
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. row — a line
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — the animal
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. row — to paddle

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