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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: pitcher · plane · key · roll · firm · ground · bowl · bat

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. ground — a position
  3. roll — a cake
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. firm — a company
  6. key — in music
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. ground — the earth
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. firm — steady
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bat — the animal
  17. roll — a list
  18. key — for a lock
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. key — the most important part
  22. ground — crushed
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. plane — an aircraft

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