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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. degree — an amount
  11. hand — help
  12. degree — temperature
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. plane — a tool
  18. foot — a measure
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. degree — from a university
  24. plane — in geometry

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