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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: file · dip · plane · tube · fine · pitch · bass · object

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. tube — the underground
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pitch — completely
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. tube — a container
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. fine — all right
  9. object — an aim
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bass — the fish
  15. object — a thing
  16. file — a line of people
  17. object — to protest
  18. file — a tool
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. dip — to sink
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. file — a document
  24. bass — low music

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