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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 116 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. track — a song
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. degree — from a university
  6. track — a path
  7. prune — to trim
  8. degree — temperature
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. swing — music
  11. track — to keep track
  12. degree — an amount
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — the time now
  15. season — in sport
  16. fine — high quality
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. season — of the year
  19. present — there
  20. swing — to play on
  21. prune — to trim
  22. swing — in golf
  23. fine — all right
  24. plane — a tool

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