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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pitch — completely
  5. file — a line of people
  6. file — a document
  7. fine — all right
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. press — to push
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. press — a publisher
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. file — a tool
  15. press — newspapers
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a ring
  18. fine — high quality
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. plane — in geometry

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