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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mug — a face
  5. degree — an amount
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. scale — size or range
  12. rock — a stone
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mug — to rob
  15. scale — in music
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — temperature
  18. foot — a measure
  19. rock — music
  20. plane — a tool
  21. mug — a cup
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. mark — a trace

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