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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.

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: roll · ground · chip · cabinet · plane · mark · file · march

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. march — the month
  3. chip — for betting
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mark — a trace
  6. march — music
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. mark — a grade
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — crushed
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. chip — to eat
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ground — the earth
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a line of people
  20. roll — a cake
  21. march — the month
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. plane — a tool
  24. roll — a list

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