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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 · pit · pitcher · wake · cell · rash · can · land

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. wake — a trail
  3. cell — in biology
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. can — a tin
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pit — a hole
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. land — a country
  11. pit — in a race
  12. rash — a series
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. land — to come down
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. can — to be able to
  17. plane — a tool
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. can — a tin
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. cell — a phone
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rash — hasty

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