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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. chip — to eat
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. tear — from crying
  5. chip — for betting
  6. key — for a lock
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. roll — a cake
  11. key — in music
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — a tool
  17. tear — from crying
  18. prune — to trim
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. tear — to rip
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. vault — a safe
  23. key — the most important part
  24. plane — an aircraft

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