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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 116 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  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. file — a line of people
  2. staff — employees
  3. rock — music
  4. pass — a permit
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. staff — employees
  8. race — a contest
  9. land — ground
  10. race — the arms race
  11. face — to confront
  12. land — to come down
  13. rock — a stone
  14. face — to point toward
  15. race — humankind
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. face — part of the head
  19. file — a document
  20. pitch — completely
  21. staff — a stick
  22. land — a country
  23. file — a tool
  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