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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. march — the month
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — an aim
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. saw — the tool
  12. object — a thing
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. kick — in football
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. degree — an amount
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — to eat
  20. degree — temperature
  21. march — the month
  22. degree — from a university
  23. march — music
  24. saw — the tool

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