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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 124 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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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. fan — a supporter
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pop — soda
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. file — a line of people
  12. row — to paddle
  13. pop — music
  14. file — a tool
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — from a university
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. degree — temperature
  22. row — a line
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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