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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. cell — in biology
  3. club — for golf
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — in sport
  7. club — a group
  8. plane — a tool
  9. file — a line of people
  10. present — there
  11. scale — size or range
  12. file — a document
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. perch — the fish
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. net — after costs
  18. scale — in music
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — the time now
  21. club — for dancing
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cell — a phone

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