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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: pitch · plane · net · jam · craft · mouse · spring · bass

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. spring — a coil
  4. net — after costs
  5. craft — a skill
  6. net — in sport
  7. plane — a tool
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. spring — the season
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bass — low music
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. craft — boats
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. net — for catching
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — the fish
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. pitch — completely
  23. spring — of water
  24. craft — a handicraft

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