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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.

Make a worksheet

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: degree · kick · plane · chip · game · safe · pitcher · leaves

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. chip — to eat
  4. game — a match
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. kick — in football
  7. degree — an amount
  8. chip — for betting
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. plane — a tool
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. degree — temperature
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. game — wild animals
  24. chip — in a computer

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