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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. key — in music
  3. plane — a tool
  4. degree — from a university
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — the most important part
  8. mark — a trace
  9. cap — a lid
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bark — to shout
  12. mark — a grade
  13. pitch — completely
  14. degree — temperature
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. cap — of ice
  17. file — a document
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. degree — an amount
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. cap — a hat
  24. file — a tool

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