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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. foot — a measure
  3. club — for dancing
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. club — a group
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rock — music
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. plane — a tool
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. club — for golf
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. rock — a stone
  21. degree — from a university
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. plane — an aircraft

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