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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. suit — to fit
  3. staff — employees
  4. pop — soda
  5. staff — a stick
  6. file — a line of people
  7. pop — music
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bank — for money
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bank — for money
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. tube — a container
  16. suit — in cards
  17. file — a tool
  18. stand — to bear
  19. staff — employees
  20. suit — clothes
  21. bank — of a river
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pop — to visit

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