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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 116 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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. rock — music
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bark — to shout
  6. pass — a permit
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. file — a tool
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. stock — shares
  13. rock — a stone
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. file — a line of people
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. stock — goods
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bat — for baseball

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