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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: rule · face · land · fall · season · plane · pitch · cue

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — to come down
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. face — part of the head
  5. fall — the season
  6. face — to point toward
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — a signal
  10. pitch — completely
  11. plane — a tool
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — of the year
  14. cue — for pool
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. season — in sport
  17. rule — government
  18. land — ground
  19. fall — to drop
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. face — to confront
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. rule — a law

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