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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: rush · plane · pitch · hand · row · pass · deal · mate

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. deal — to handle
  3. mate — to breed
  4. hand — help
  5. rush — hurry
  6. pitch — completely
  7. mate — a partner
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. row — a line
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. hand — in cards
  19. mate — a friend
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. row — to paddle
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pass — a permit

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