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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 116 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  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. racket — a loud noise
  2. present — a gift
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. root — of a word
  7. mark — a grade
  8. degree — from a university
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — there
  11. mark — a trace
  12. degree — an amount
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. plane — a tool
  18. squash — the sport
  19. pitch — completely
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. squash — to crush
  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