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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. lie — to recline
  3. ground — crushed
  4. key — in music
  5. ground — a position
  6. scale — in music
  7. file — a document
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. key — the most important part
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — help
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. file — a tool
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. ground — the earth
  17. scale — size or range
  18. hand — in cards
  19. pass — a permit
  20. stand — to bear
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. key — for a lock
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — for spectators

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