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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pop — to visit
  3. file — a line of people
  4. march — the month
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — a position
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. file — a document
  10. date — the fruit
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. can — to be able to
  13. season — of the year
  14. pop — soda
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. can — a tin
  17. march — the month
  18. pop — music
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. season — in sport
  21. file — a tool
  22. march — music
  23. can — a tin
  24. date — on the calendar

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