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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 116 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: net · plane · object · file · pound · game · cue · firm

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. net — for catching
  3. file — a document
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. game — wild animals
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — for pool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a line of people
  11. object — an aim
  12. net — after costs
  13. cue — a signal
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. firm — a company
  16. object — a thing
  17. game — a match
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. firm — decided
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. net — in sport
  22. plane — a tool
  23. pound — a weight
  24. object — to protest

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