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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 · object · arm · plane · rock · craft · tube · race

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. race — a contest
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. craft — boats
  8. race — the arms race
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — an aim
  14. craft — a skill
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. pitch — completely
  19. tube — the underground
  20. object — to protest
  21. plane — a tool
  22. tube — a container
  23. race — humankind
  24. rock — a stone

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