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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: ground · ruler · pitch · chip · degree · bay · plane · toast

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. plane — a tool
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. ground — the earth
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. degree — an amount
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. degree — from a university
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ground — a position
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. degree — temperature
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. pitch — completely

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