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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. file — a document
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. file — a line of people
  9. season — in sport
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. rush — hurry
  14. sharp — clever
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. pass — a permit
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. file — a tool
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. stock — shares
  23. mine — for digging
  24. rush — a thrill

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