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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. file — a document
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. pop — to visit
  6. file — a line of people
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. present — a gift
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. chip — to eat
  13. present — the time now
  14. chip — for betting
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pass — a permit
  17. lean — thin
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. lean — to bend
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. file — a tool
  22. pop — music
  23. stock — goods
  24. present — there

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