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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pitcher · row · plane · content · date · mate · object · deal

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. row — to paddle
  3. plane — a tool
  4. content — happy
  5. mate — a friend
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. object — to protest
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — to breed
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. content — the amount
  14. object — a thing
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. date — the fruit
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — a line
  21. deal — to handle
  22. object — an aim
  23. deal — an agreement
  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