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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. cap — a lid
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. board — a committee
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. file — a line of people
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. stand — to bear
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. march — the month
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. march — the month
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. rush — hurry
  18. board — to get on
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. pass — a permit
  22. march — music
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. file — a document

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