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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. cap — a hat
  3. degree — from a university
  4. cap — of ice
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. degree — an amount
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bore — to tire
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. plane — a tool
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. degree — temperature
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — clever
  22. scale — in music
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bore — to drill

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