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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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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. degree — from a university
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — farmland
  7. field — for sport
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. degree — an amount
  10. pass — a permit
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. plane — a tool
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. board — a committee
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. board — to get on
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. degree — temperature

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