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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 120 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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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a great time
  5. degree — an amount
  6. plane — a tool
  7. degree — temperature
  8. ball — a dance
  9. foot — a measure
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. press — to push
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. press — newspapers
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. press — a publisher

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