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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: fan · pitch · leaves · content · chair · ruler · mine · plane

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. content — happy
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. plane — a tool
  10. mine — for digging
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — videos and posts
  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