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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. file — a tool
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. can — to be able to
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rock — a stone
  11. can — a tin
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. roll — a cake
  18. file — a document
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. rock — music
  22. pass — a permit
  23. file — a line of people
  24. can — a tin

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