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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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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: degree · lash · roll · net · plane · object · bat · track

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. net — in sport
  3. degree — temperature
  4. object — an aim
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bat — the animal
  7. object — to protest
  8. track — to keep track
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. net — after costs
  14. track — a song
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. roll — a cake
  17. object — a thing
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. track — a path
  20. net — for catching
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. roll — a list
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. roll — on a roll

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