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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · rest · file · fork · firm · plane · content · pit

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. pit — a hole
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. rest — a break
  5. fine — all right
  6. rest — what's left
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. file — a line of people
  10. firm — steady
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. rest — what's left
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. firm — decided
  18. plane — a tool
  19. content — happy
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. file — a document
  22. fine — high quality
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. firm — a company

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