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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: cue · ground · fall · plane · capital · pitch · land · bore

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. ground — crushed
  4. cue — a signal
  5. land — a country
  6. plane — a tool
  7. pitch — completely
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. ground — the earth
  11. land — ground
  12. bore — to tire
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. cue — a hint
  15. fall — the season
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. capital — money
  18. fall — to drop
  19. capital — a city
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. ground — a position
  23. cue — for pool
  24. land — to come down

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