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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. degree — from a university
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a great time
  8. board — to get on
  9. ball — a dance
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — for pool
  13. plane — a tool
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. saw — the tool
  16. game — a match
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — temperature
  19. board — a committee
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. saw — the tool
  24. arm — a part of something

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