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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 120 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: plane · firm · rush · mark · bark · net · rest · pitch

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. rest — what's left
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. firm — decided
  7. rush — hurry
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — to shout
  12. net — for catching
  13. plane — a tool
  14. mark — a grade
  15. net — after costs
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. pitch — completely
  21. rest — a break
  22. firm — steady
  23. net — in sport
  24. rest — what's left

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