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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. key — in music
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. net — for catching
  5. key — the most important part
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. degree — from a university
  8. prune — to trim
  9. march — the month
  10. squash — to crush
  11. kick — in football
  12. degree — an amount
  13. plane — a tool
  14. march — the month
  15. key — for a lock
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. net — in sport
  20. march — music
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. net — after costs
  23. prune — to trim
  24. degree — temperature

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