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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: stick · club · pitch · lean · chair · pass · bowl · plane

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. club — for golf
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. plane — a tool
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. lean — to bend
  17. club — a group
  18. chair — a leader
  19. lean — thin
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. club — for dancing

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