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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 116 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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. last — finally
  3. last — to go on
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. degree — an amount
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. fork — in a road
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — from a university
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. last — final
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bear — the animal

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