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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. swing — music
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. swing — to play on
  6. mug — to rob
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. swing — in golf
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. charge — a price
  14. file — a document
  15. mug — a cup
  16. pass — a permit
  17. charge — in control
  18. mug — a face
  19. file — a tool
  20. stock — shares
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. charge — electricity
  23. stock — goods
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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