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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: arm · suit · plane · degree · racket · wave · cap · prune

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. suit — in cards
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — from a university
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cap — of ice
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. degree — temperature
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. suit — clothes
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. prune — to trim
  17. plane — a tool
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. cap — a lid
  22. suit — to fit
  23. cap — a hat
  24. plane — an aircraft

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