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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 120 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. pass — a permit
  4. chair — a leader
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. game — wild animals
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. current — happening now
  11. cap — a hat
  12. file — a tool
  13. cap — a lid
  14. prune — to trim
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. file — a line of people
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. cap — of ice
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. game — a match

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