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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. ground — crushed
  3. degree — temperature
  4. mug — a face
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pop — music
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — a tool
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pop — soda
  16. ground — a position
  17. pop — to visit
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a cup
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. degree — an amount
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. ground — the earth
  24. leaves — to go away

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