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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 120 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — from a university
  6. bat — the animal
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. rash — hasty
  9. key — in music
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. last — final
  16. plane — a tool
  17. degree — an amount
  18. key — the most important part
  19. scale — size or range
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — finally
  22. key — for a lock
  23. rash — a series
  24. leaves — lets stay

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