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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: plane · fine · stand · saw · pitch · cap · court · roll

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. roll — a cake
  3. roll — a list
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cap — of ice
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. court — of a king
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. court — of law
  12. court — for sport
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. cap — a lid
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. fine — all right
  18. stand — to bear
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. fine — high quality
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. cap — a hat

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