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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  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 tool
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. file — a line of people
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. file — a document
  7. net — after costs
  8. pit — a hole
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. pass — a permit
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — for betting
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. band — a music group
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. chip — to eat
  18. net — for catching
  19. fine — all right
  20. net — in sport
  21. fine — high quality
  22. pit — in a race
  23. band — a ring
  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