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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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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: chest · file · fan · mouse · stick · racket · plane · pitch

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. pitch — completely
  3. file — a document
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. chest — of your body
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. file — a line of people
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. chest — a box
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. plane — a tool
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mouse — the animal

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