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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: degree · land · racket · plane · chair · can · bay · object

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. land — to come down
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. object — an aim
  5. can — a tin
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. degree — temperature
  8. plane — a tool
  9. land — a country
  10. object — to protest
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. degree — from a university
  13. land — ground
  14. can — to be able to
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. can — a tin
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. object — a thing
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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