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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bass — the fish
  4. file — a tool
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pit — in a race
  8. cap — a lid
  9. file — a line of people
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bass — low music
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. lean — thin
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pit — a hole
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cap — a hat
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — a sports field

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