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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitch · plane · rash · pit · deal · cabinet · shower · date

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. rash — hasty
  10. shower — to wash
  11. date — the fruit
  12. rash — a series
  13. deal — to handle
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. pit — in a race
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. plane — a tool
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pit — a hole
  22. shower — rain
  23. pitch — completely
  24. plane — an aircraft

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