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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. degree — an amount
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. plane — a tool
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. pitch — completely
  12. suit — clothes
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. suit — to fit
  15. degree — temperature
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bass — low music
  18. degree — from a university
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. deal — to handle
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bass — 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