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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. degree — from a university
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. suit — to fit
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. degree — an amount
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. suit — in cards
  15. plane — a tool
  16. cell — a phone
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. suit — clothes
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. cell — in biology

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