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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: tube · cap · bat · file · plane · mate · suit · stock

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. tube — a container
  3. plane — a tool
  4. mate — a friend
  5. suit — clothes
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bat — the animal
  10. mate — a partner
  11. file — a document
  12. suit — in cards
  13. stock — goods
  14. file — a tool
  15. cap — a hat
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — shares
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. cap — of ice
  22. mate — to breed
  23. file — a line of people
  24. tube — the underground

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