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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. degree — temperature
  4. ball — a great time
  5. stand — to bear
  6. pop — soda
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. degree — from a university
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. degree — an amount
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. cell — in biology
  15. court — for sport
  16. pop — music
  17. court — of law
  18. cell — a phone
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. ball — a dance
  22. pop — to visit
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. court — of a king

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