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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. degree — from a university
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. prune — to trim
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — a tool
  11. board — to get on
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — temperature
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — magic
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. prune — to trim
  20. board — a committee
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. ball — a great time
  24. stand — on your feet

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