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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: file · club · content · wave · plane · pit · toast · charge

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. club — for dancing
  7. pit — a hole
  8. charge — in control
  9. content — happy
  10. file — a line of people
  11. charge — a price
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. file — a tool
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. plane — a tool
  17. club — a group
  18. charge — electricity
  19. file — a document
  20. toast — bread
  21. content — the amount
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. pit — in a race

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