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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. saw — the tool
  3. hand — in cards
  4. degree — temperature
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. degree — from a university
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — help
  24. degree — an amount

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