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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: pitch · bark · mouse · plane · file · bulb · deal · bound

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bulb — for light
  5. file — a tool
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — tied together
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bound — certain
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. file — a line of people
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. deal — to handle
  24. file — a document

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