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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 120 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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. board — a committee
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. fine — all right
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. object — to protest
  7. file — a document
  8. object — a thing
  9. last — final
  10. tube — a container
  11. fine — high quality
  12. pass — a permit
  13. tube — the underground
  14. file — a tool
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. foot — a measure
  18. object — an aim
  19. last — finally
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. board — to get on
  22. last — to go on
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — the bottom

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