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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. wake — a trail
  4. file — a document
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. craft — a skill
  9. land — a country
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. file — a tool
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — completely
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pass — a permit
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. file — a line of people
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — ground
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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