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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. charge — electricity
  4. ground — the earth
  5. key — the most important part
  6. chair — a leader
  7. key — in music
  8. bark — to shout
  9. firm — a company
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. ground — crushed
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. charge — a price
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. firm — steady
  18. foot — a measure
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. charge — in control
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. firm — decided
  23. key — for a lock
  24. ground — a position

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