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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. degree — temperature
  5. plane — a tool
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. race — the arms race
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. race — a contest
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. fall — the season
  14. bass — the fish
  15. race — humankind
  16. fall — to drop
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. degree — from a university
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bass — low music

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