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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.

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: pitch · kid · plane · root · leaves · can · fine · degree

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. degree — from a university
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. can — to be able to
  5. degree — an amount
  6. pitch — completely
  7. can — a tin
  8. degree — temperature
  9. kid — to tease
  10. root — of a word
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. kid — child
  16. can — a tin
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. root — of a plant
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. root — the cause

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