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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: pit · pass · pitcher · row · foot · present · plane · fall

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. present — there
  6. fall — to drop
  7. present — a gift
  8. plane — a tool
  9. fall — to drop
  10. present — the time now
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. row — to paddle
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. fall — the season
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. row — a line
  18. pass — a permit
  19. foot — a measure
  20. pit — a hole
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. pit — in a race

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