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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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Word bank
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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: pit · file · row · chair · plane · stem · mouse · rock

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. plane — a tool
  3. stem — to come from
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. row — to paddle
  6. file — a line of people
  7. pit — a hole
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. row — a line
  20. file — a document
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. file — a tool

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