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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. charge — a price
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. plane — a tool
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — in control
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. file — a tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. march — music
  13. perch — the fish
  14. net — for catching
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. march — the month
  19. net — after costs
  20. prune — to trim
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. march — the month
  23. file — a document
  24. file — a line of people

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