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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — a tool
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stock — goods
  9. key — in music
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. stock — shares
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — a law
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. chair — a leader
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. key — the most important part
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bear — the animal

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