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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. degree — from a university
  7. swing — in golf
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. pop — soda
  10. current — electric
  11. swing — music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. toast — bread
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. plane — a tool
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. date — the fruit
  18. current — of water
  19. degree — temperature
  20. pop — music
  21. current — happening now
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. degree — an amount
  24. swing — to play on

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