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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: cue · mark · can · perch · plane · content · fan · pitch

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pitch — completely
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. can — a tin
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. content — the amount
  12. perch — the fish
  13. cue — a hint
  14. can — a tin
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — a grade
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. content — happy
  20. cue — for pool
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. cue — a signal

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