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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. degree — from a university
  4. capital — money
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. pop — soda
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. capital — a city
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. pop — music
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. degree — an amount
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. kick — in football
  21. pop — to visit
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — a tool
  24. perch — the fish

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