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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. cap — of ice
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. degree — from a university
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. cap — a hat
  10. scale — in music
  11. tube — the underground
  12. cap — a lid
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. degree — temperature
  18. tube — a container
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. pitch — completely
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. plane — a tool
  24. degree — an amount

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