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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a dance
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bat — the animal
  8. press — to push
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. press — newspapers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. foot — a measure
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. present — a gift
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. degree — from a university
  20. plane — a tool
  21. present — the time now
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. degree — temperature
  24. present — there

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