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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: club · press · plane · file · suit · rock · toast · drill

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. file — a line of people
  3. club — for golf
  4. suit — clothes
  5. file — a document
  6. club — a group
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — army training
  10. rock — music
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. file — a tool
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. drill — the tool
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — a stone
  18. press — to push
  19. club — for dancing
  20. plane — a tool
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. suit — to fit
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — a publisher

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