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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 116 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. degree — temperature
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. plane — a tool
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. degree — an amount
  9. band — a music group
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. dip — to sink
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. can — a tin
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. can — to be able to
  16. court — of a king
  17. pitch — completely
  18. court — for sport
  19. degree — from a university
  20. court — of law
  21. band — a ring
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. can — a tin
  24. dip — to dunk

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