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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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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: degree · race · face · chip · suit · plane · land · bay

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. land — a country
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. face — part of the head
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. land — to come down
  9. chip — for betting
  10. face — to confront
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. degree — temperature
  13. face — to point toward
  14. degree — from a university
  15. suit — to fit
  16. degree — an amount
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. suit — in cards
  19. plane — a tool
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — humankind
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — to eat
  24. land — ground

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