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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: nail · degree · mate · plane · tube · jam · rock · swing

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. tube — the underground
  3. mate — to breed
  4. swing — in golf
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. degree — temperature
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. swing — to play on
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — a friend
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. tube — a container
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — a stone
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. degree — an amount
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. degree — from a university
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. plane — a tool

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