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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: suit · plane · bat · cue · bark · ground · file · rock

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a document
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. cue — for pool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. ground — a position
  8. cue — a hint
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — a tool
  11. rock — music
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bat — the animal
  14. file — a line of people
  15. cue — a signal
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — clothes
  18. ground — the earth
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. ground — crushed

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