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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 116 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: lean · pop · pitch · plane · ground · patient · mine · content

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. ground — a position
  6. plane — a tool
  7. lean — thin
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. ground — crushed
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. pitch — completely
  14. content — happy
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. ground — the earth
  17. pop — to visit
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. pop — soda
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. lean — to bend
  24. mine — for digging

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