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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. present — there
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. file — a line of people
  5. charge — a price
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pit — in a race
  9. race — a contest
  10. stock — goods
  11. field — farmland
  12. pit — a hole
  13. charge — electricity
  14. field — a subject
  15. race — humankind
  16. file — a document
  17. race — the arms race
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. present — the time now
  20. field — for sport
  21. file — a tool
  22. stock — shares
  23. present — a gift
  24. charge — in control

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