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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 · rash · spring · lie · bulb · capital · pitch · ground

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — the earth
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. pitch — completely
  5. rash — a series
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. lie — to recline
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — money
  10. ground — a position
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. spring — the season
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rash — hasty
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bulb — for light
  18. plane — a tool
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. spring — of water
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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