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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 116 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 · plane · row · dip · pitch · pound · object · mark

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. row — a line
  7. pound — a weight
  8. mark — a trace
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. object — to protest
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. mark — a grade
  16. object — a thing
  17. row — to paddle
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. object — an aim
  21. plane — a tool
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. dip — to sink
  24. plane — in geometry

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