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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  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. firm — a company
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. field — farmland
  5. degree — temperature
  6. cue — a hint
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. field — for sport
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. firm — steady
  14. cue — for pool
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. plane — a tool
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cue — a signal
  21. firm — decided
  22. field — a subject
  23. degree — an amount
  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