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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  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 document
  2. file — a tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bass — the fish
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. court — for sport
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — boats
  13. court — of law
  14. bass — low music
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. craft — a skill
  17. court — of a king
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. band — a ring
  22. file — a line of people
  23. band — a music group
  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