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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — the earth
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a line of people
  5. net — after costs
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. ground — crushed
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. net — for catching
  12. season — in sport
  13. plane — a tool
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. file — a tool
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. season — of the year
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. pound — a weight
  24. net — in sport

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