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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
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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 · bat · chest · ruler · row · bass · plane · craft

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bass — low music
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. craft — boats
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pitch — completely
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. row — a line
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. row — to paddle
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bass — the fish
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. chest — a box
  19. bat — the animal
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. chest — of your body
  23. plane — a tool
  24. craft — a skill

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