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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: plane · fine · kid · row · squash · charge · bass · pitch

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. charge — a price
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. row — a line
  6. kid — child
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pitch — completely
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bass — low music
  11. kid — to tease
  12. squash — the sport
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. plane — a tool
  18. fine — high quality
  19. charge — electricity
  20. fine — all right
  21. bass — the fish
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. charge — in control
  24. bass — the instrument

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