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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bound — certain
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. file — a line of people
  5. cap — a lid
  6. net — in sport
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bound — tied together
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pass — a permit
  11. scale — size or range
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. net — after costs
  15. file — a tool
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. net — for catching
  18. bound — obliged
  19. cap — a hat
  20. sharp — clever
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — a container
  23. cap — of ice
  24. scale — in music

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