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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. file — a tool
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pitch — completely
  8. file — a document
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bass — the fish
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. degree — temperature
  14. lean — to bend
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bass — low music
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. degree — from a university
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. file — a line of people
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. degree — an amount
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. plane — in geometry

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