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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. net — after costs
  8. file — a line of people
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. file — a tool
  11. current — happening now
  12. net — in sport
  13. current — electric
  14. rock — a stone
  15. file — a document
  16. current — of water
  17. rock — music
  18. pass — a permit

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