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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.

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: mug · plane · pitch · stick · pass · game · land · cold

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. cold — not warm
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a cup
  10. land — to come down
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pass — a permit
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — wild animals
  16. plane — a tool
  17. land — ground
  18. cold — an illness
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. game — a match
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. mug — a face
  23. land — a country
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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