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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. file — a line of people
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a tool
  6. march — the month
  7. wound — an injury
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. march — the month
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. march — music
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. pound — a weight

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