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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 120 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: plane · racket · fine · mate · bay · file · mark · mug

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mate — to breed
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. fine — all right
  6. file — a tool
  7. mug — a face
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a document
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. mate — a friend
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mark — a grade
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. plane — a tool
  20. mark — a trace
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. mug — to rob
  24. racket — a loud noise

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