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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — completely
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. tube — the underground
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. degree — an amount
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. saw — the tool
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — temperature
  17. sharp — clever
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. tube — a container
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. racket — for tennis

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