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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. chip — for betting
  3. race — a contest
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pitch — completely
  7. chip — to eat
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. race — humankind
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. file — a line of people
  13. branch — a division
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. file — a tool
  17. chair — a leader
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. file — a document
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. race — the arms race
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. chip — in a computer

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