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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a tool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. shower — rain
  6. stock — goods
  7. bass — the fish
  8. shower — to wash
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bass — low music
  11. plane — a tool
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — there
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. stock — shares
  16. press — to push
  17. press — newspapers
  18. pass — a permit
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. file — a line of people
  21. press — a publisher
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. bass — the instrument

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