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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: fall · cap · roll · key · club · pitcher · sharp · plane

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. sharp — clever
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. fall — to drop
  5. club — for dancing
  6. plane — a tool
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. cap — a lid
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. cap — a hat
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. club — for golf
  14. key — for a lock
  15. roll — a list
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fall — to drop
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. key — in music
  21. cap — of ice
  22. club — a group
  23. fall — the season
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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