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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: court · plane · can · sharp · wax · bowl · degree · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. wax — to grow
  4. can — a tin
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. court — of a king
  8. degree — an amount
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — from a university
  13. can — to be able to
  14. court — for sport
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. sharp — clever
  17. court — of law
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. can — a tin
  24. sharp — with an edge

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