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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. root — of a plant
  4. net — in sport
  5. band — a ring
  6. net — for catching
  7. root — of a word
  8. net — after costs
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. toast — bread
  12. can — to be able to
  13. band — a music group
  14. saw — the tool
  15. file — a tool
  16. root — the cause
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. can — a tin
  19. saw — the tool
  20. can — a tin
  21. plane — a tool
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. file — a line of people
  24. saw — past of 'see'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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