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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 116 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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. chip — to eat
  3. drill — army training
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. drill — the tool
  7. ground — the earth
  8. key — in music
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. chip — for betting
  12. ground — a position
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. key — the most important part
  17. ground — crushed
  18. scale — size or range
  19. drill — a practice
  20. scale — in music
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. key — for a lock

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