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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mark — a grade
  5. plane — a tool
  6. firm — decided
  7. degree — temperature
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. degree — an amount
  10. firm — steady
  11. land — ground
  12. mark — a trace
  13. firm — a company
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. land — a country
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. ball — a dance
  20. land — to come down
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. branch — a division
  24. degree — from a university

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