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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. rock — a stone
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rock — music
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. scale — in music
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. file — a document
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. file — a tool
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. plane — a tool
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pit — in a race
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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