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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. squash — to crush
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pitch — completely
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. chair — a leader
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. squash — the sport
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. sharp — with an edge

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