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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. firm — decided
  3. file — a document
  4. present — a gift
  5. file — a line of people
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. club — for golf
  9. firm — steady
  10. club — for dancing
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — a face
  13. hand — in cards
  14. firm — a company
  15. net — for catching
  16. club — a group
  17. present — the time now
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. file — a tool
  20. net — after costs
  21. present — there
  22. net — in sport
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. mug — to rob

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