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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: plane · swing · squash · key · stem · pitch · racket · pound

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. squash — the sport
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. plane — a tool
  10. swing — to play on
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. key — in music
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. squash — to crush
  22. swing — in golf
  23. key — the most important part
  24. swing — music

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