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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: game · trunk · plane · arm · perch · pit · field · degree

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — farmland
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — temperature
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. degree — an amount
  10. game — a match
  11. perch — the fish
  12. pit — a hole
  13. plane — a tool
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. field — a subject
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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