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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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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. toast — bread
  3. band — a music group
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. chip — to eat
  8. squash — to crush
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. squash — the sport
  12. track — a path
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. chip — for betting
  15. track — a song
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. band — a ring
  18. track — to keep track
  19. foot — a measure
  20. chair — a leader
  21. plane — a tool
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. chair — to sit on
  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