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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 my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rock — a stone
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rock — music
  8. object — a thing
  9. date — the fruit
  10. object — an aim
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. foot — a measure
  13. object — to protest
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — a tool
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. degree — from a university
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. mine — for digging
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. degree — an amount

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