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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 124 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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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: plane · squash · content · key · bay · bat · fan · chair

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. key — in music
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. content — the amount
  7. squash — to crush
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. content — happy
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. chair — a leader
  16. key — the most important part
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bat — the animal
  22. plane — a tool
  23. key — for a lock
  24. squash — the sport

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