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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 120 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: pitcher · plane · root · deal · craft · swing · degree · patient

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a skill
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. swing — in golf
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. root — the cause
  10. degree — an amount
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. root — of a word
  16. degree — temperature
  17. root — of a plant
  18. degree — from a university
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. swing — to play on
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. swing — music
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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