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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 116 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. game — wild animals
  5. spell — magic
  6. club — a group
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. chair — a leader
  11. saw — the tool
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. spell — a short time
  14. plane — a tool
  15. key — the most important part
  16. staff — a stick
  17. club — for golf
  18. key — for a lock
  19. staff — employees
  20. club — for dancing
  21. game — a match
  22. staff — employees
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. spell — letters

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