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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  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. degree — from a university
  2. mug — a cup
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. scale — in music
  5. mug — to rob
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. net — in sport
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. mug — a face
  10. net — after costs
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. net — for catching
  14. degree — an amount
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. plane — a tool
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. scale — size or range
  19. craft — a skill
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. stem — to come from
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. craft — boats
  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