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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. saw — the tool
  5. drill — the tool
  6. degree — from a university
  7. pitch — completely
  8. drill — army training
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. degree — an amount
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. degree — temperature
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. drill — a practice
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. deal — to handle
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. plane — a tool

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