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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. ground — the earth
  3. file — a tool
  4. ground — a position
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. ground — crushed
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. rock — music
  12. cell — in biology
  13. file — a document
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cell — a phone
  18. rock — a stone
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. prune — to trim
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. plane — a tool

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