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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. cue — a hint
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — a tool
  7. ground — the earth
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bank — for money
  12. can — a tin
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bank — of a river
  15. can — to be able to
  16. degree — temperature
  17. can — a tin
  18. degree — an amount
  19. ground — a position
  20. cue — for pool
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bank — for money
  23. degree — from a university
  24. chair — a professorship

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