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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: plane · key · chip · rule · field · chair · degree · mug

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — a tool
  4. mug — a face
  5. key — for a lock
  6. degree — temperature
  7. rule — a law
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. field — farmland
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. rule — government
  13. key — in music
  14. field — a subject
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. mug — to rob
  17. degree — from a university
  18. field — for sport
  19. chair — a leader
  20. mug — a cup
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — for betting
  23. degree — an amount
  24. key — the most important part

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