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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: key · plane · season · ball · racket · last · tear · degree

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a great time
  4. season — in sport
  5. tear — to rip
  6. last — finally
  7. tear — from crying
  8. key — in music
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. plane — a tool
  11. season — of the year
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. key — the most important part
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. last — final
  17. degree — from a university
  18. tear — from crying
  19. last — to go on
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. degree — an amount
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. key — for a lock

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