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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 112 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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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. pit — in a race
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. kick — in football
  6. scale — size or range
  7. chip — to eat
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. chair — a leader
  11. scale — in music
  12. mug — a cup
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. pit — a hole
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. mug — a face
  20. pass — a permit
  21. mug — to rob
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chip — for betting

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