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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: straw · pitch · rest · plane · pop · charge · rash · capital

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. charge — electricity
  8. capital — money
  9. rest — what's left
  10. capital — a city
  11. pop — music
  12. rash — hasty
  13. pitch — completely
  14. charge — in control
  15. rest — what's left
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — a tool
  18. rash — a series
  19. charge — a price
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pop — soda

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