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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: board · bank · pitch · plane · spell · cap · season · bat

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bank — for money
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. cap — a lid
  8. season — in sport
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. cap — a hat
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a committee
  13. season — of the year
  14. spell — a short time
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. spell — letters
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. spell — magic
  19. bat — the animal
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bank — of a river
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bank — for money
  24. pitch — completely

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