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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bass — low music
  4. file — a line of people
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — a leader
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. file — a tool
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. file — a document
  12. charge — in control
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. pitch — completely
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bark — to shout
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bass — the fish
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. key — in music
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. charge — a price
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. chair — to sit on

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