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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: arm · mate · present · ground · plane · pitch · cap · field

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. plane — a tool
  3. mate — a partner
  4. field — for sport
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. present — a gift
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. cap — a lid
  11. present — the time now
  12. cap — a hat
  13. ground — the earth
  14. mate — to breed
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. cap — of ice
  18. pitch — completely
  19. ground — crushed
  20. field — a subject
  21. mate — a friend
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. field — farmland
  24. ground — a position

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