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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. key — in music
  3. fine — all right
  4. march — the month
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. degree — temperature
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — a tool
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. mark — a trace
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. degree — an amount
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bass — the fish
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bass — low music
  19. degree — from a university
  20. key — for a lock
  21. march — the month
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. march — music
  24. key — the most important part

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