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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: racket · plane · cold · club · drill · root · leaves · file

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. drill — army training
  3. file — a line of people
  4. club — a group
  5. file — a document
  6. drill — the tool
  7. file — a tool
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — the cause
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. cold — an illness
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. club — for dancing
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. plane — a tool
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. cold — not warm
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. drill — a practice
  23. club — for golf
  24. root — of a word

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