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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 · court · clip · bulb · file · toast · pass · root

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. toast — bread
  3. root — of a word
  4. pass — a permit
  5. court — for sport
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. root — of a plant
  8. clip — for paper
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. clip — to cut
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bulb — for light
  15. clip — a video
  16. plane — a tool
  17. court — of law
  18. bulb — for light
  19. court — of a king
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. root — the cause
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. pass — to spend time

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