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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. key — in music
  4. chair — a leader
  5. plane — a tool
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — to sink
  12. net — after costs
  13. fine — high quality
  14. net — for catching
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. key — for a lock
  19. fine — all right
  20. pitch — completely
  21. key — the most important part
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. dip — a sauce

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