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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 120 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. net — in sport
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. root — the cause
  11. file — a document
  12. rash — a series
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pitch — completely
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — for catching
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rash — hasty
  19. file — a tool
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — of a plant

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