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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fine — all right
  4. track — a path
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — a short time
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. degree — temperature
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. can — a tin
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. spell — letters
  15. fine — high quality
  16. can — to be able to
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — low music
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bass — the fish
  23. degree — from a university
  24. plane — a tool

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