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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: staff · mate · bark · key · plane · rule · stand · game

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. rule — a law
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. mate — to breed
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. key — in music
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. mate — a friend
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rule — government
  16. game — a match
  17. stand — to bear
  18. mate — a partner
  19. key — for a lock
  20. game — wild animals
  21. plane — a tool
  22. staff — employees
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bark — to shout

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