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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: kid · board · scale · degree · dip · cell · pitcher · plane

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. board — to get on
  7. scale — in music
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. degree — from a university
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. plane — a tool
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. degree — temperature
  15. scale — size or range
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. kid — child
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cell — a phone
  21. kid — to tease
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. degree — an amount

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