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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: bear · content · pitch · mark · deal · firm · plane · drill

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. deal — to handle
  3. firm — decided
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. content — happy
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. drill — army training
  10. mark — a grade
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. firm — steady
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bear — the animal
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bear — the animal
  18. firm — a company
  19. pitch — completely
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. deal — a big deal

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