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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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 tool
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. file — a document
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a music group
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. swing — music
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. chip — for betting
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. swing — to play on
  20. chip — to eat
  21. file — a line of people
  22. swing — in golf
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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