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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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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 · plane · mouse · shower · swing · file · board · root

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. file — a document
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. board — to get on
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. root — the cause
  7. pit — a hole
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. swing — in golf
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — of a plant
  12. swing — to play on
  13. board — a committee
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pit — in a race
  16. swing — music
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. shower — to wash
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. shower — rain

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