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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: bat · pass · bore · rest · degree · plane · suit · ground

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bat — the animal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. degree — from a university
  8. ground — a position
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. rest — a break
  11. ground — crushed
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. suit — clothes
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bore — to tire
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bore — to drill
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — a permit
  23. ground — the earth
  24. suit — to fit

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