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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. file — a document
  3. last — finally
  4. cell — a phone
  5. last — to go on
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. content — the amount
  10. pass — a permit
  11. club — for dancing
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. club — a group
  14. firm — decided
  15. cell — in biology
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. craft — boats
  18. last — final
  19. content — happy
  20. club — for golf
  21. file — a tool
  22. craft — a skill
  23. file — a line of people
  24. firm — steady

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