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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: kick · bowl · degree · rule · row · plane · court · bound

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. row — a line
  3. bound — obliged
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. kick — in football
  8. degree — from a university
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of law
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. row — to paddle
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. degree — an amount
  18. bound — certain
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. rule — a law
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. degree — temperature
  24. plane — a tool

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