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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: fan · spring · deal · coach · mine · pitch · mate · plane

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mine — for digging
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. spring — a coil
  10. pitch — completely
  11. mate — to breed
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. spring — the season
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. spring — of water
  23. deal — to handle
  24. plane — a tool

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