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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 120 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: firm · sharp · fork · bass · plane · land · row · pitch

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. land — a country
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. sharp — clever
  6. land — ground
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. firm — decided
  9. fork — in a road
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — a line
  12. plane — a tool
  13. firm — steady
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bass — the fish
  17. land — to come down
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bass — low music
  24. sharp — with an edge

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