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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 · march · face · mug · pitcher · pit · sharp · board

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. board — a committee
  6. march — the month
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. face — to point toward
  9. plane — a tool
  10. face — to confront
  11. pit — a hole
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — clever
  14. march — music
  15. face — part of the head
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pit — in a race
  20. march — the month
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. board — to get on
  23. mug — a face
  24. sharp — with an edge

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