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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: plane · rock · rule · mate · ground · toast · firm · swing

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. firm — a company
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. mate — to breed
  5. swing — in golf
  6. firm — decided
  7. mate — a partner
  8. firm — steady
  9. ground — crushed
  10. toast — bread
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. mate — a friend
  15. swing — music
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. rule — government
  18. rock — a stone
  19. ground — a position
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — music
  22. plane — a tool
  23. swing — to play on
  24. ground — the earth

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