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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
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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: pitch · plane · fall · chip · cabinet · saw · spring · pop

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. spring — a coil
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fall — to drop
  6. spring — the season
  7. pitch — completely
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. chip — to eat
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. pop — music
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. fall — the season
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. spring — of water
  16. chip — for betting
  17. saw — the tool
  18. plane — a tool
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pop — soda
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. fall — to drop

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