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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. file — a line of people
  3. scale — size or range
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. mark — a trace
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. pass — a permit
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. file — a tool
  17. mark — a grade
  18. scale — in music
  19. sharp — clever
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. file — a document
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — all right
  24. sharp — with an edge

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