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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: lash · date · field · pitch · racket · plane · toast · ball

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. date — the fruit
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. ball — a great time
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. field — farmland
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. field — a subject
  12. plane — a tool
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. pitch — completely
  15. ball — a dance
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. toast — bread
  18. field — for sport
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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