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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 · file · jam · stem · arm · suit · rule

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. pit — in a race
  3. suit — to fit
  4. plane — a tool
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. pit — a hole
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. rule — government
  9. suit — in cards
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. file — a line of people
  15. rule — a law
  16. file — a document
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. suit — clothes
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — to come from
  24. file — a tool

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