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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. file — a line of people
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — in music
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. present — the time now
  8. land — a country
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. club — for golf
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. file — a tool
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. land — ground
  15. file — a document
  16. land — to come down
  17. club — a group
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. present — there
  20. pass — a permit
  21. present — a gift
  22. mine — for digging
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. club — for dancing

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