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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. degree — an amount
  8. cap — of ice
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. degree — temperature
  11. cap — a hat
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. cap — a lid
  14. band — a music group
  15. degree — from a university
  16. land — ground
  17. land — to come down
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. land — a country
  20. pitch — completely
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. band — a ring

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