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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: plane · prune · pitch · pop · sharp · mug · field · bowl

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. plane — a tool
  11. mug — a cup
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — to rob
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. prune — to trim
  20. field — for sport
  21. pop — soda
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. field — farmland

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