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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 120 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
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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: clip · foot · degree · season · court · plane · ground · net

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. season — of the year
  3. degree — an amount
  4. ground — crushed
  5. court — of law
  6. degree — temperature
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. ground — a position
  9. clip — for paper
  10. clip — a video
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. net — after costs
  13. season — in sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. plane — a tool
  16. net — in sport
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of a king
  19. degree — from a university
  20. clip — to cut
  21. ground — the earth
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. foot — a measure

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