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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 · court · board · march · squash · pitch · deal · row

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. court — of a king
  4. pitch — completely
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. plane — a tool
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. march — music
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. row — to paddle
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. march — the month
  13. row — a line
  14. deal — to handle
  15. court — for sport
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the sport
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — to get on
  21. court — of law
  22. march — the month
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. board — a flat piece

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