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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 116 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: wound · pitch · dip · pit · spring · pitcher · staff · plane

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. wound — an injury
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. spring — of water
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. plane — a tool
  11. staff — employees
  12. dip — to sink
  13. spring — a coil
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. staff — employees
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. wound — an injury
  24. spring — the season

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