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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.

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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: wake · pitch · foot · degree · plane · rash · suit · rock

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  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. degree — from a university
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. degree — temperature
  4. foot — a measure
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. suit — in cards
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. suit — to fit
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. rock — music
  14. rash — hasty
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. degree — an amount
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. suit — clothes
  20. plane — a tool
  21. rock — a stone
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. pitch — completely
  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