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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. march — the month
  4. chest — a box
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. plane — a tool
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — to get on
  9. degree — from a university
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. chest — of your body
  14. degree — an amount
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. degree — temperature
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. hide — to keep secret

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