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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. present — the time now
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. file — a line of people
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. land — a country
  9. chip — for betting
  10. wound — an injury
  11. file — a tool
  12. wound — an injury
  13. present — there
  14. chip — to eat
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. present — a gift
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — ground
  19. file — a document
  20. fine — all right
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. fine — high quality

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