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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. file — a line of people
  4. firm — a company
  5. board — to get on
  6. march — music
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. firm — steady
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. march — the month
  11. board — a committee
  12. march — the month
  13. firm — decided
  14. content — happy
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. pass — a permit
  17. file — a tool
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. content — the amount
  24. pass — to spend time

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