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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: rest · sharp · bay · dip · club · plane · degree · pitcher

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. degree — from a university
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. rest — what's left
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. club — a group
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. club — for golf
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. rest — a break
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. degree — an amount
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. degree — temperature
  22. club — for dancing
  23. sharp — clever
  24. plane — in geometry

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