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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: net · saw · bound · race · spell · plane · toast · pitch

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. net — after costs
  4. race — a contest
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — completely
  7. race — the arms race
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. saw — the tool
  10. net — for catching
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bound — tied together
  13. net — in sport
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bound — obliged
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. spell — magic
  19. toast — bread
  20. spell — letters
  21. race — humankind
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bound — certain
  24. plane — in geometry

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