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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mouse · pit · spell · row · can · game · file · plane

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. game — a match
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. pit — in a race
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. spell — a short time
  7. can — a tin
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. can — to be able to
  10. row — a line
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. spell — letters
  14. file — a document
  15. spell — magic
  16. can — a tin
  17. file — a tool
  18. pit — a hole
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. row — to paddle
  22. file — a line of people
  23. game — wild animals
  24. plane — 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