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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 · bulb · squash · court · game · bear · pitch · plane

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. game — a match
  3. spring — the season
  4. court — of law
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. plane — a tool
  7. squash — the sport
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. court — of a king
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bear — the animal
  18. court — for sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. pitch — completely
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — a coil
  24. game — a kind of play

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