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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. spell — letters
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. degree — from a university
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. spell — magic
  9. degree — an amount
  10. plane — a tool
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. can — a tin
  13. degree — temperature
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. can — to be able to
  16. foot — a measure
  17. suit — clothes
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. suit — to fit
  20. content — happy
  21. spell — a short time
  22. suit — in cards
  23. content — the amount
  24. can — a tin

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