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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. key — the most important part
  3. rash — a series
  4. pitch — completely
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bass — the fish
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. key — for a lock
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. key — in music
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bass — low music
  21. hand — help
  22. file — a tool
  23. bark — to shout
  24. file — a document

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