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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 120 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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. plane — a tool
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. fine — high quality
  7. key — for a lock
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. shower — rain
  11. mark — a grade
  12. key — in music
  13. fine — all right
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. shower — to wash
  18. key — the most important part
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. mark — a trace
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. fine — a penalty

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