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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a line of people
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. rule — a law
  8. can — a tin
  9. hand — help
  10. stand — to bear
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — tied together
  14. can — a tin
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. hand — in cards
  19. file — a tool
  20. bound — obliged
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rule — government
  23. pass — a permit
  24. can — to be able to

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