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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: fall · pitch · staff · rock · pass · game · hide · plane

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. staff — employees
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. staff — employees
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pitch — completely
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. game — wild animals
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. game — a match
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fall — to drop
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pass — a permit
  22. plane — a tool
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. staff — a stick

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