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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. club — a group
  3. file — a document
  4. season — in sport
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. season — of the year
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. land — ground
  13. land — to come down
  14. chip — for betting
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. file — a tool
  19. club — for golf
  20. land — a country
  21. club — for dancing
  22. chip — to eat
  23. pass — a permit
  24. season — to add flavour

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