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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: suit · pitch · fine · plane · cap · wake · bound · mouse

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. fine — high quality
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. wake — a trail
  9. cap — of ice
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bound — obliged
  14. suit — clothes
  15. cap — a hat
  16. plane — a tool
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bound — tied together
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bound — certain
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pitch — completely
  24. fine — a penalty

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