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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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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: saw · pitch · row · last · snap · racket · stand · plane

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. stand — to bear
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — final
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. plane — a tool
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. pitch — completely
  10. snap — to click
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. row — to paddle
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. row — a line
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. last — finally

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