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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: plane · kick · craft · key · file · court · chip · degree

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. kick — in football
  3. court — of a king
  4. key — for a lock
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. court — of law
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. chip — for betting
  10. key — the most important part
  11. file — a line of people
  12. degree — an amount
  13. court — for sport
  14. degree — from a university
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. chip — to eat
  17. key — in music
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — a tool
  20. file — a tool
  21. degree — temperature
  22. file — a document
  23. craft — boats
  24. chip — in a computer

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