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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: court · bowl · kick · kid · last · can · plane · degree

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. degree — temperature
  4. kick — in football
  5. court — for sport
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. last — final
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. can — a tin
  14. last — finally
  15. court — of a king
  16. kid — child
  17. court — of law
  18. can — a tin
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. degree — from a university
  23. can — to be able to
  24. degree — an amount

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