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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. ground — a position
  3. plane — a tool
  4. game — a match
  5. kid — child
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — in cards
  9. ground — the earth
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. game — wild animals
  12. kid — to tease
  13. degree — temperature
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. ground — crushed
  20. suit — to fit
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — an amount
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. racket — for tennis

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