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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. degree — temperature
  3. saw — the tool
  4. plane — a tool
  5. rule — a law
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. rule — government
  12. pound — a weight
  13. scale — in music
  14. last — to go on
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — from a university
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. perch — the fish
  19. scale — size or range
  20. last — finally
  21. last — final
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. saw — the tool
  24. perch — for a bird

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