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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: snap · pitcher · arm · court · hand · pitch · spring · plane

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. court — of law
  5. hand — help
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. spring — a coil
  8. court — of a king
  9. hand — in cards
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. spring — the season
  17. snap — to click
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. spring — of water
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. court — for sport

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