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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
468
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: field · cue · plane · rule · tube · pitcher · file · perch

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. plane — a tool
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. tube — a container
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. tube — the underground
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. field — for sport
  12. field — a subject
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rule — a law
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a line of people
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. rule — government
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. file — a document
  24. field — farmland

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