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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. net — in sport
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. cue — for pool
  13. file — a tool
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. net — for catching
  17. file — a document
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fine — high quality
  21. net — after costs
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pit — a hole
  24. fine — all right

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