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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: last · bulb · charge · court · file · bat · row · plane

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. charge — a price
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. last — to go on
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. file — a tool
  9. bulb — for light
  10. court — for sport
  11. last — final
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. row — to paddle
  14. file — a document
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bulb — for light
  17. court — of law
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. file — a line of people
  21. row — a line
  22. court — of a king
  23. last — finally
  24. plane — in geometry

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