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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — government
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. staff — employees
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. net — in sport
  8. mark — a trace
  9. staff — employees
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. roll — a list
  12. net — for catching
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. mark — a grade
  15. plane — a tool
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. file — a line of people
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. net — after costs
  20. file — a tool
  21. roll — a cake
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. file — a document
  24. staff — a stick

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