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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. file — a line of people
  4. tube — a container
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. tube — the underground
  8. file — a document
  9. pass — a permit
  10. march — the month
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. march — music
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. chip — to eat
  17. march — the month
  18. chip — for betting
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. file — a tool

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