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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: pitch · plane · row · rash · deal · jam · sharp · trunk

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. plane — a tool
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. rash — a series
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. deal — to handle
  8. pitch — completely
  9. row — a line
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. sharp — clever
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. rash — hasty
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. row — to paddle
  24. sharp — exactly

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