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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: wave · capital · degree · court · foot · pit · plane · saw

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. court — for sport
  4. pit — a hole
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. court — of a king
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. saw — the tool
  10. court — of law
  11. capital — money
  12. degree — an amount
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. degree — temperature
  15. pit — in a race
  16. plane — a tool
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. foot — a measure
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. capital — a city

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