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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: bat · plane · lash · content · saw · rock · pitch · court

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bat — the animal
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. court — for sport
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. court — of law
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. content — happy
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. rock — a stone
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rock — music
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. court — of a king

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