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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 120 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: fine · racket · land · spring · rule · pitch · mug · plane

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. rule — government
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. mug — a cup
  8. fine — high quality
  9. spring — of water
  10. mug — to rob
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. spring — the season
  13. land — to come down
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rule — a law
  16. mug — a face
  17. plane — a tool
  18. pitch — completely
  19. fine — all right
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. spring — a coil
  24. land — a country

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