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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: mouse · chip · ground · race · fine · plane · pitch · perch

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. ground — a position
  5. fine — all right
  6. race — the arms race
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. race — a contest
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. ground — crushed
  15. chip — for betting
  16. race — humankind
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pitch — completely
  19. fine — high quality
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. perch — the fish
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. plane — an aircraft

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