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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. chest — a box
  3. court — of a king
  4. degree — temperature
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. court — of law
  8. chest — of your body
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. chest — of your body
  12. degree — from a university
  13. hand — help
  14. plane — a tool
  15. hand — in cards
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. degree — an amount
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. file — a tool
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. file — a line of people
  24. court — for sport

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