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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. capital — a city
  4. plane — a tool
  5. degree — an amount
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — a position
  8. degree — temperature
  9. ground — crushed
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. rest — what's left
  12. chair — a leader
  13. rest — a break
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. rest — what's left
  16. capital — money
  17. degree — from a university
  18. chair — a professorship

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