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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. hand — in cards
  3. pitch — completely
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. drill — the tool
  7. degree — temperature
  8. hand — help
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. club — for dancing
  12. degree — from a university
  13. club — for golf
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — army training
  20. track — a song
  21. track — a path
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. plane — a tool
  24. club — a group

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