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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. degree — temperature
  3. drill — the tool
  4. can — a tin
  5. kick — in football
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. season — of the year
  8. drill — army training
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. season — in sport
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. drill — a practice
  17. can — to be able to
  18. degree — an amount
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. degree — from a university
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. can — a tin

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