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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. key — in music
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — finally
  8. key — the most important part
  9. net — in sport
  10. plane — a tool
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. key — for a lock
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — after costs
  15. last — final
  16. board — to get on
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry

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