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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  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. plane — a tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. degree — an amount
  4. sharp — clever
  5. charge — electricity
  6. degree — from a university
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. can — a tin
  9. ground — a position
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — the earth
  13. charge — a price
  14. bulb — for light
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. charge — in control
  17. bulb — for light
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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