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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: object · key · club · degree · net · bowl · plane · ground

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. ground — crushed
  3. degree — temperature
  4. plane — a tool
  5. club — a group
  6. object — to protest
  7. ground — a position
  8. key — the most important part
  9. object — an aim
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. key — in music
  17. net — in sport
  18. club — for golf
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. object — a thing
  21. net — for catching
  22. ground — the earth
  23. degree — an amount
  24. net — after costs

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