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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: plane · chest · degree · bowl · fine · row · net · can

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — an amount
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. can — a tin
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. chest — of your body
  9. net — in sport
  10. fine — high quality
  11. row — a line
  12. can — a tin
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. degree — from a university
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. can — to be able to
  18. row — to paddle
  19. fine — all right
  20. net — after costs
  21. chest — a box
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. plane — a tool
  24. net — for catching

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