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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: file · staff · land · mouse · plane · court · trunk · key

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — to come down
  3. file — a document
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. staff — a stick
  6. file — a line of people
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. court — of law
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. file — a tool
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. key — in music
  14. land — ground
  15. plane — a tool
  16. staff — employees
  17. key — for a lock
  18. court — for sport
  19. staff — employees
  20. court — of a king
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. key — the most important part
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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