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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. degree — from a university
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. band — a music group
  6. rock — a stone
  7. band — a ring
  8. charge — electricity
  9. degree — temperature
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. charge — in control
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. plane — a tool
  15. net — for catching
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. toast — bread
  19. rock — music
  20. charge — a price
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — in sport

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