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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rule · plane · file · kid · mark · pop · net · suit

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. mark — a grade
  4. suit — in cards
  5. net — for catching
  6. suit — to fit
  7. kid — child
  8. net — after costs
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. file — a document
  11. pop — to visit
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. kid — to tease
  14. pop — soda
  15. suit — clothes
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a tool
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. pop — music
  20. net — in sport
  21. rule — a law
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — a tool
  24. rule — government

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