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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. file — a tool
  4. stand — to bear
  5. file — a document
  6. rock — music
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. pit — a hole
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. file — a line of people
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. board — a committee
  18. rock — a stone
  19. mine — for digging
  20. roll — a cake
  21. board — to get on
  22. pit — in a race
  23. roll — a list
  24. pass — to succeed

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