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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: leaves · chair · pitch · degree · rule · content · sharp · plane

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. plane — a tool
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. chair — a leader
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. content — the amount
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. degree — temperature
  14. pitch — completely
  15. degree — from a university
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. rule — a law
  20. sharp — clever
  21. rule — government
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. degree — an amount
  24. content — happy

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