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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: plane · rock · staff · season · pitch · wind · row · pop

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. season — in sport
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. staff — employees
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. staff — employees
  11. rock — music
  12. wind — moving air
  13. row — a line
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pop — music
  18. row — to paddle
  19. season — of the year
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. staff — a stick
  22. plane — a tool
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — to visit

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