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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: cabinet · bass · nail · prune · plane · pitch · hand · mate

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. mate — a friend
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. hand — in cards
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. hand — help
  10. pitch — completely
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bass — the fish
  13. prune — to trim
  14. plane — a tool
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mate — to breed
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bass — low music
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. mate — a partner

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