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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: trunk · date · rock · roll · plane · bat · mark · degree

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. degree — temperature
  4. bat — the animal
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. degree — an amount
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. rock — a stone
  10. roll — a list
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a grade
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — a tool
  21. date — the fruit
  22. roll — a cake
  23. rock — music
  24. mark — a trace

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