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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. file — a line of people
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a leader
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. mark — a grade
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — to shout
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — a permit
  13. file — a tool
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. pitch — completely
  17. cap — a hat
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. file — a document
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. cap — of ice

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