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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. tube — the underground
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stem — to come from
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. plane — a tool
  7. file — a tool
  8. bass — low music
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. tube — a container
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bore — to tire
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. file — a document
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to drill
  20. file — a line of people
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bass — the fish
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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