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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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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. plane — a tool
  3. tube — the underground
  4. land — to come down
  5. file — a tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. file — a line of people
  8. content — the amount
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bound — certain
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stand — to bear
  13. tube — a container
  14. land — ground
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — tied together
  17. land — a country
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. file — a document
  22. content — happy
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. plane — in geometry

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