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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. pass — a permit
  3. march — music
  4. club — for golf
  5. file — a line of people
  6. march — the month
  7. club — a group
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. court — of law
  12. chair — a leader
  13. club — for dancing
  14. file — a tool
  15. capital — a city
  16. court — of a king
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. march — the month
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. court — for sport
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. capital — money

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