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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.

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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: spring · net · plane · lean · sharp · jam · bowl · pitch

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. lean — to bend
  6. spring — a coil
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. lean — thin
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. pitch — completely
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. spring — the season
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. net — for catching
  20. spring — of water
  21. net — after costs
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. net — in sport

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