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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. file — a document
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — crushed
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — of the year
  11. file — a tool
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. craft — boats
  15. pass — a permit
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. ground — the earth
  18. pound — a weight
  19. fine — all right
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fine — high quality
  22. craft — a skill
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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