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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: suit · field · staff · degree · bass · current · plane · date

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bass — low music
  4. degree — temperature
  5. staff — employees
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. current — electric
  8. field — a subject
  9. current — of water
  10. bass — the fish
  11. field — for sport
  12. current — happening now
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. date — the fruit
  16. field — farmland
  17. degree — an amount
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — clothes
  21. staff — employees
  22. degree — from a university
  23. staff — a stick
  24. plane — a tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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