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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: firm · racket · pitch · dip · bore · last · row · plane

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. last — final
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. row — to paddle
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. last — finally
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. last — to go on
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — a company
  15. bore — to drill
  16. firm — decided
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. row — a line
  19. bore — to tire
  20. plane — a tool
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. pitch — completely

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