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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. plane — a tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. chip — for betting
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. chip — to eat
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a line of people
  13. foot — a measure
  14. drill — the tool
  15. race — a contest
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. race — humankind
  19. rest — what's left
  20. drill — a practice
  21. rest — what's left
  22. file — a document
  23. race — the arms race
  24. pitcher — a jug

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