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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.

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: land · ground · plane · cell · mouse · suit · firm · pitch

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — decided
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. plane — a tool
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. ground — the earth
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. ground — crushed
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. suit — in cards
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. land — ground
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — to fit
  16. cell — in biology
  17. land — a country
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. ground — a position
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cell — a phone
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. land — to come down
  24. pitch — completely

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