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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 116 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. fork — in a road
  3. wind — moving air
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. degree — an amount
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. degree — temperature
  17. plane — a tool
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. degree — from a university
  24. fan — a supporter

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