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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. file — a document
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bass — the fish
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. lean — thin
  15. pitch — completely
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. lean — to bend
  21. file — a line of people
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bass — low music
  24. file — a tool

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