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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 · squash · track · game · staff · craft · pitch · stick

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. staff — a stick
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. craft — a skill
  7. pitch — completely
  8. track — a song
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. staff — employees
  12. squash — to crush
  13. track — to keep track
  14. plane — a tool
  15. track — a path
  16. game — a match
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. craft — boats
  21. game — wild animals
  22. squash — the sport
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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