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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rash — hasty
  4. pass — a permit
  5. net — in sport
  6. file — a line of people
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. net — after costs
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — low music
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — an aim
  16. charge — a price
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a tool
  19. charge — in control
  20. net — for catching
  21. rash — a series
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bass — the fish
  24. object — a thing

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