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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. march — the month
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. charge — in control
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — from a university
  10. club — for dancing
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. staff — employees
  13. club — a group
  14. staff — employees
  15. march — music
  16. track — a path
  17. march — the month
  18. staff — a stick
  19. track — a song
  20. degree — temperature
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — a price
  23. track — to keep track
  24. club — for golf

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