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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: plane · pitch · safe · bat · lie · deal · season · degree

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. degree — an amount
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pitch — completely
  6. degree — from a university
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. plane — a tool
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. deal — to handle
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. season — in sport
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. season — of the year
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. degree — temperature
  24. lie — to recline

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