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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: degree · present · leaves · firm · plane · pit · foot · cap

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. pit — a hole
  6. degree — from a university
  7. cap — a lid
  8. foot — a measure
  9. cap — a hat
  10. present — there
  11. cap — of ice
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. degree — temperature
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. present — the time now
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. degree — an amount
  19. firm — decided
  20. pit — in a race
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — a company
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. plane — an aircraft

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