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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. plane — a tool
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. craft — a skill
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. race — humankind
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. degree — an amount
  11. fine — high quality
  12. race — the arms race
  13. fine — all right
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — temperature
  16. pitch — completely
  17. race — a contest
  18. board — to get on
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. board — a committee
  21. craft — boats
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — happy
  24. plane — in geometry

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