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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — a tool
  3. cue — a signal
  4. chip — to eat
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. chip — for betting
  7. can — to be able to
  8. key — the most important part
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — a contest
  11. mine — for digging
  12. can — a tin
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. cue — a hint
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. key — in music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. cue — for pool
  19. scale — size or range
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. can — a tin
  22. scale — in music
  23. race — the arms race
  24. plane — in geometry

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