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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 120 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
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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: pitcher · cold · degree · court · wind · pass · cabinet · plane

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. cold — not warm
  3. court — of a king
  4. cold — an illness
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. degree — an amount
  11. pass — a permit
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. degree — from a university
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of law
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. degree — temperature
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pass — to succeed

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