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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. firm — a company
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a tool
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. land — a country
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. perch — the fish
  10. land — ground
  11. file — a document
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bear — the animal
  14. land — to come down
  15. firm — decided
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mate — a partner
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. plane — a tool
  21. firm — steady
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mate — a friend

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